i like to cook's weekend cookbook challenge

Weekend Cookbook Challenge 37 Roundup and Goodbye

2009-03-18T03:43:00.000Z

Well, here we are for the 37th and last roundup for the Weekend Cookbook Challenge. I started the challenge as a solo project back in 2005 as a way to cook out of more books in my cookbook collection. After cooking out of 5 of my previously unused cookbooks the WCC was turned into an event that everyone could take part it. And now 37 months and 37 themes later, this is goodbye.

Let's go!

A sweet post and a lovely plate of Seared Tuna with Lime Crust are sent to the final WCC by the wonderful Deb of Kahakai Kitchen. Thanks Deb!

Judy from Judy's Gross Eats has come by to say so long and with her she brings photos of her gorgeous kitchen and some delicious Macaroni and Cheese.

Ok, everyone stay where you are and don't all go running into the kitchen at once to make Pages, Pucks and Pantry and Mrs. L's Pan Fried Angel Food Cake. Um, yum.

I don't want to alarm anyone, but I think Hell may have frozen over.......Lis sent in a post for WCC! Oh just teasing. But seriously, her Romanian Garlicky Ground Meat Sausages (Carnatzlach) with Sour Pickle Vinaigrette and Roasted Red Peppers looks stunning, and she says nice things about me, she's awesome!

My beautiful friend Mary from The Sour Dough has written a lovely post for the end of WCC. The WCC is actually how Mary and I "met", for which I will forever be grateful. Her Cappuccino White Chocolate Chunk Bread looks good, but is not nearly as sweet as her.

My friend Ruth from Once Upon a Feast has made what she calls her most romantic dinner for the final WCC - Bife a Poruguesa. Thank you Ruth!

Jenny from All Things Edible share these pretty Caramel Dumplings, a recipe from her Grandmother.

I could never thank Michelle from Je Mange la Ville enough for her participation over the 3 years of WCC. Her beautiful Tarte au Citron is a lovely goodbye.

I am working on finding the perfect Bloody Mary. It's a tough job, but I'm up to the challenge.

You are for sure going to want to check out these raw vegan brownies from TriniGourmet! They look great.

Another one from me - Setas Salteadas Con Jamon Y Allioli. If you like mushrooms and ham, you'll want to try this.

This Mexican Chicken and Corn Chowder is well loved by Cynthia and her family at Diary of a Glad Housewife. Mmmmmm, corn.

LadyConcierge sends us this simply lovely Valentine's Day Cheesecake. Thanks LC!

Joanne at Eats Well With Others posted this crazy colorful Caramelized Sweet Potato, Garlic, and Rosemary Macaroni and Cheese and Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan. Yum!

Here's my Pulled Pork from Rachel Ray magazine. I've got a freezer full of shredded pork now. What could be better?

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A thousand thank yous to everyone who ever posted for WCC, hosted, suggested ideas, and came by to check out our efforts. I so appreciate all you have done and thanks for joining me over the past few years for Weekend Cookbook Challenge.

It was so much fun. I miss it already.

The Final Weekend Cookbook Challenge

2009-02-24T22:38:00.001Z

I had decided a couple of months ago that it was time to wind down Weekend Cookbook challenge. Last month was actually going to be the last one, but I got sidetracked and distracted and moved it to this month. It has been great fun running WCC for the past 3 years, but the time has come. Originally I was not going to say anything, just write a thank you and goodbye in the round up, but after chatting with a couple of WCC regulars this weekend, they argued I should give some advance warning in case anyone wanted to take part one last time. Because I've already contacted the next 3 people that were slated to host and told them it was all over, and again, because I think it's time to say goodbye, I don't want to do another challange. But what I'm going to do is extend this one.

So, join me in saying goodbye to Weekend Cookbook Challenge! Challenge 37 has been extended to March 15. The theme is Love, but we've never really been about rules here. Do what you like! Send your posts to me by March 15 at iliketocook AT shaw DOT ca.

WCC 36 Round up and Theme for 37

2009-02-02T08:09:00.000Z

Good morning everyone, and happy February! Who can believe it's already February? Not me. I decided this morning that, seeing as I have failed epically on my 09 resolutions already (every year I make resolutions and abandon them quickly, however this year for some reason that bothers me) that February is the new January and I'm having a do-over. Who's with me?

Moving on, thanks to everyone who joined me in January for Weekend Cookbook Challenges 36th challenge. Thanks to non-blog-owner-but-reader-of-mine-Lynn for suggesting the challenge for January. Our challenge was 5 Ingredients or Less, and we've got some great stuff. Let's start with:

Rene at Pages, Pucks and Pantry. Thanks Rene for sharing this yummy Spicy Soy Dipping Sauce for dumplings/potstickers/anything you'd like. Looks great!

Check out this interesting smoothie - Banana Basil Smoothie from TriniGourmet. And she liked it! Bananas and basil, who would have thought.

I can't wait to make this for dinner - Broccoli and Cheese Calzone from Joanne at Eats Well With Others.

I still have a hard time wrapping my head around the ingredient list in this Hot and Sour Pork from Jenny at All Things Edible. But Jenny liked it, so there you go.

gaga of gaga in the kitchen shows us how to make scallion pancakes. Pretty cool!

mimi on the move shares these gorgeous honey shortbread cookies.

Judy's Gross Eats went crazy with 3 dishes! Check out her polenta lasagna with smoked mozzarella, eggplant stuffed with garlic and sun-dried tomatoes, and roasted green beans and kalamata olives.

I made 2 dishes this month, but this one - fake n bake chicken - actually had 6 ingredients because I forgot how to count.

Deb from Kahakai Kitchen is back again with some lovely looking Indian Potato Pancakes. Mmmm!

I'm drooling over these Fries from Navita and her blog Zaayeka. Who told her potatos are my favorite food???

Here's my second dish and I really liked this one alot - Spring Peas with Lettuce and Mint.

This sounds like a perfect dish for this time of year - Red Lentil recipe from Sudeshna from Here I Cook.

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Thank you all again - everything looks wonderful! If I have made any errors, please let me know.

I am hosting WCC for February, and I hope you will all forgive me for my corny theme - Love.

For those interested in joining me for Weekend Cookbook Challenge for the first time, it's pretty easy. Find a recipe that fits the monthly theme. You can use a recipe from a cookbook, magazine, website, your Mom, whatever. Make it, blog about it with a picture and the recipe (if you like) and email me a link to your post by February 28. I'll have the roundup posted a couple of days after that. My email is iliketocook AT shaw DOT ca.

Feel free to interpret the theme any way you'd like. You could cook from a cookbook you love, or with an ingredient you love. Or use your most loved kitchen appliance! Try out a new recipe for the one you love, whatever you want.

And as always, anyone who would like to suggest an idea for a future challenge or would like to host a month, drop me a note.

Cheers!

Weekend Cookbook Challenge 36 - 5 Ingredients or Less

2009-01-06T03:32:00.001Z

Y'all, this months Weekend Cookbook Challenge is

5 Ingredients or Less.

The 5 ingredients do not need to include water, salt or pepper.

Send me your posts by January 30 at iliketocook AT shaw DOT ca.

Cheers!

WCC 35 Roundup and Theme for 36

2009-01-01T20:10:00.000Z

Howdy y'all and Happy New Year! I hope 2009 is off to a wonderful start for you. For me, not so much. As usual, I have come down with my annual Between-Christmas-And-New-Years-Cold/Flu. I don't feel super, but I think I feel a little better than I did last night. I managed to lie on the couch and nurse a cider/nyquil combo until my beloved Flames whooped Edmonton's ass and then I staggered off to bed before 10. Happy New Years!

Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who sent in a dish for this months Weekend Cookbook Challenge. I was afraid that attendance would be low/nonexistent because of the holidays, but I am happy to show off this kick-ass round up that clearly shows otherwise. Let's go!

First up is ME and my third post for the challenge, a fellow bloggers BBQ Corn Pizza. VERY tasty.

My wonderful wonderful friend is back at WCC and I am so happy! Here's Mary from Breadchick and her Spinach Artichoke Crab Dip.

I am happy to see a familiar face back this month with a truly gorgeous dish - Tuna with Sesame Soy and Smoked Salmon Rolls by Deb at Kahakai Kitchen.

This next appetizer looks like so much fun! Cheese Balls from Judy at Judy's Gross Eats.

This next picture almost makes me forget it's snowing outside, it looks so summery! Barefoot Contessa's Tomato & Goat Cheese Tarts from fellow BC blogger Bellini Valli from More Than Burnt Toast.

My next dish is from Michael Smith from Chef at home - Chicken Balls.

Here's a dish I'll have to make sure my Dad sees - Sardine Pate from Sarina at TriniGourmet.

This one wins the prize for longest name - Cat Cora's Smoked Paprika Shredded Pork Crisps with
Orange Fennel Marmalade from Cynthia at Diary of a Glad Housewife. What a mouthful!

Who doesn't love wings? Here's some wings from a book on my wish list (The Silver Spoon) - Silver Spoon Wings from Paula at Cookbook Junkie.

And my favorite of my 3 dishes this month was for sure these Slow Cooker Cranberry Meatballs. So great.

This next dish is so gorgeous - look at this Fiori di Zucca con Ricotta e Pancetta from Natalia at Gatti Fili e Farina.

And perennial WCC contributor Michelle with this fun named dish - Snake Eyes from Michelle at Je Mange la Ville.

Whoooooo! Thanks to everyone! Hopefully I didn't mess anything up and it all makes sense. Scott says I have a fever but I think it's the lack of our usual Champagne and OJ on New Years Day that's got my blood boiling. Damn this coldflu! If I did miss anyone or make a mistake, please email me.

So January brings our 36th challenge - that's right we are heading into the 3rd year of Weekend Cookbook Challenge. I am the host for January, but the challenge has been chosen by a long time reader who does not have her own blog - Lynn. Lynn has chosen the theme - 5 Ingredients or Less. So find a recipe in a cookbook, magazine, on the internet, or wherever you'd like. Make it, blog about it and send me a link by January 30. My email is iliketocook AT shaw DOT ca. If anyone out there would like to suggest a theme for upcoming months, or host a month, send me an email.

Have a great day!

34 Roundup and theme for 35

2008-11-27T04:44:00.001Z

Gingerbread Waffles from Je Mange la Ville!

A large hug and thank you to Ani of Foodie Chickie for hosting Weekend Cookbook Challenge for November. Her Diner Food round up is here.

This time of the year is so busy, I thought about putting WCC on hiatus for December. But what the heck, let's go for it! I hope that the theme I've chosen for December you'll be able to fit into your busy schedule - Appetizers.

So whip up any appetizer you'd like, from any source you'd like - book, magazine, newspaper, internet, etc. Take a photo, write about it, and send me a link by December 30. So that gives you lots of time, and I pledge right now that I will share at least 3 appy recipes for you before WCC 35 is over!

My email be iliketocook AT shaw DOT ca.

WCC 33 Roundup and theme for 34

2008-11-05T02:46:00.001Z

Many thanks to Lisa at Confesstions of an Apron Queen for hosting Weekend Cookbook Challenge in October. Our theme was Fall Vegetables, and you can check out the delicious round up right here.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup from Kitchen Bliss.

November's WCC (#34!) will be hosted by the lovely Ani from Foodie Chickie. Ani has chosen
My Favorite Diner Meal as our theme.

So get your diner related dishes to Ani by November 24. Her email is foodiechickie AT yahoo DOT com.

Cheers!

September Roundup and October Challenge

2008-10-06T18:31:00.001+01:00

A great big Thanks to Carla at Chocolate Moosey for hosting
WCC 32 - Garlic.

She got some fantastic entries, as you can see here.

Garlic Jelly from Megan's Cookin.

October's WCC will be hosted by Lisa from Confessions of an Apron Queen.

The theme is Fall Vegetables and the deadline is October 31.

Please email your posts to Lisa at winnx5 at yahoo dot com.

WCC 31 Round up and theme for 32

2008-09-02T03:08:00.000+01:00

Our 31st Weekend Cookbook Challenge was about capturing the last days of summer with some grill time. Let's see what we got:

This is my contribution, Teriyaki Style Beef Bulgogi.

This one made me laugh, check out the name - Oink Ointment! But then I stopped laughing and started drooling, wow does that sauce sound amazing. Here's Oink Ointment from Mrs. L at Pages, Pucks and Pantry.

Something I never thought of grilling - meat loaf! Check out Grilled Mini Meat Loaves from Judy's Gross Eats.

Mary sent us two recipes for Weekend Cookbook Challenge - Tri Color Pasta Salad and Jan's Chicken from The Sour Dough.

This fabulous pictures says all you need to know about these ribs. BBQ Ribs from Lisa at Confessions of an Apron Queen. Thanks Lisa!

Mike has got me itching to do some bbq on a major scale after seeing his Lexington Barbecue at Mel's Diner.

Honey and Chipolte make this dish sound delicious - Honey Barbecued Chicken from Cynthia at Diary of a Glad Housewife.

Thanks to all of you for taking part this month!

September is going to be hosted by Carla at Chocolate Moosey. Her theme is GARLIC. Get your smelly entries to her by September 30. Email is mooseymoosecc at hotmail dot com

WCC 30 Roundup and Theme for 31

2008-07-31T05:51:00.001+01:00

A million THANK YOUS to Michelle over at Je Mange La Ville for hosting the July WCC. Her great round up on all things Farmers Market is here.

Michelle, you are the best! And of course welcome to host any time.

I am your host for August/the 31st challenge, and our theme is....

"Get Your Grill On".

So pick a BBQ recipe from a cookbook, magazine, newspaper or off the internet. Make it, write about it, and send me a link by August 30. My email address is iliketocook AT shaw DOT ca.

If you'd like to host a month of WCC, or have a challenge idea, let me know!

WCC Roundup

2008-07-02T16:32:00.001+01:00

Greek Salad from Lisa at An Apron A Day.

Thanks to my friend Mike for hosting the Weekend Cookbook Challenge in July. His roundup is here, please go read about all sorts of tasty salads.

July's challenge is being hosted by WCC regular Michelle from Je Mange la Ville, and she has chosen
Farmers Markets
as her theme.

Please get your posts to her by July 27. Michelle's email address is mlb AT jammed DOT com.

Happy Wednesday!

WCC 28 Roundup and theme for WCC 29

2008-05-28T06:35:00.000+01:00

Hello out there, and thanks for coming to read the round up for Weekend Cookbook Challenge 28 - TV Cooks. I'd like to say a big thanks to everyone who took part this month. There are literally a zillion food challenges out there, and I thank you for coming and taking part in mine.

Let's start this round up off with ME!, shall we?

After my original recipe choice turned out hideously, I tried a yummy summertime drink, Berry Smooth from the ever popular Sandra Lee.

Mike from Mel's Diner, who will be the host with the most for June's WCC, shares with us Crispy Fried Rhubarb Pork from Jamie Oliver.

Newlywed Michelle at Je Mange La Ville was inspired to make Provencal Vegetable Soup from Wolfgang Puck.

Fellow BC'er KC from Kits Chow joins us for her second WCC with this mighty tasty looking Kayaker's Wok Fried Mac from PBS.

Judy and Judy's Gross Eats share with us Super Nachos from Rachel Ray.

The wonderful Shaun of Winter Skies, Kitchen Aglow has joined me again and came with a lovely Braised Pork Belly and Buttered Apples from Tyler Florence.

Another familiar face is Haalo and Cook Almost Anything Once, with some very pretty Goat Cheese and Red Capsicum Pancakes from Gary Rhodes.

Yay! Ruth has come for a visit at WCC with a two post dish over on Once Upon a Feast - Fermented Black Bean and Garlic Sauce and the finished dish Black Bean Chicken and Tofu Stirfy from Ming Tsai.

And yet another old friend, Pavani who urges me not to give up yet on Tempeh with this Tempeh Club Sandwich from Delicious TV.

Robin from Made with Love shares a decadant dessert, Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding Trifle from my girl Paula Deen.

Anne and Kitchen Bliss bring these great Wolfgang Puck Ginger and Lemongrass Grilled Shrimp to the round up.

Lisa and An Apron A Day have a kickin cheesecake from Emeril - Margarita Mama's Cheesecake.

Paula the Cookbook Junkie shares a dramatic Carrot Cake from The Young and the Restless. Slap!

BA Gourmet from the self titled blog whips up some Coconut Macaroons from Ina Garten.

Deb from Kahakai Kitchen in Hawaii (I'm officially sick with jealousy) whipped up a tropical Coconut Bread Pudding from Sam Choy.

Megan from My Baking Adventures got creative with Chocolate Covered Strawberries from Ina Garten.

Again, huge thanks to all of you who shared with us this month! I appreciate it so much.

June's WCC will be hosted by my man Mike of Mel's Diner. His theme is SALAD, so wow him with a fantastic salad and email your link to him at eatatmelsdiner AT gmail DOT com by June 29.

WCC 27 Round up and theme for 28.

2008-05-01T20:17:00.000+01:00

The round up for WCC 27 is up!

Please visit Carla and check out this months tasty treats.

Cannelloni with Spinach Filling from Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska.

Thanks Carla for hosting this month! You are more than welcome to host WCC any time you'd like!

I am hosting WCC for May,and the theme for Weekend Cookbook Challenge 28is........

TV COOKS.

Find a recipe from a cooking show from the food channel, PBS, or your local area. Or pick a recipe from a cookbook you've bought off TV! Of cook something from a non-cooking TV show cookbook (does that even make sense?) ie The Sopranos. If you don't have a cookbook that fits this theme, please feel free to find something in a magazine or online.

Please post your entry, with a link to WCC, and send it to me by Sunday May 25. My email address is iliketocook AT shaw DOT ca.

As always, if anyone out there has an idea for a theme or would like to host, let me know!

Round Up 26 - Pressure Cookers, Dutch Ovens and Crockpots

2008-03-30T16:09:00.003+01:00

Smoked Pork Neck in Pineapple Sauce with Dried Cherries and Raisins from Ulrike of Küchenlatein.

My beautiful friend Lis has the round up for March's WCC up. Please go check it out!

Thank you Lis for a wonderful month! Please come back soon and host again.

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April brings challenge #27 and another new host - Carla of Chocolate Moosey. Carla's theme for April is

Vintage Cookbooks.

Find a cookbook or recipe written in 1979 or earlier, make it, write about it, and send it to Carla at mooseymoosecc[at]hotmail[dot]com.
Please read Carla's post for full details.

Have a great day!

Round up 25 - Nigella Lawson

2008-03-03T07:01:00.002Z

A very special thanks to repeat hostess Ani from Foodie Chickie.
She did a tremendous job in February with her Weekend Cookbook Challenge theme - Nigella Lawson.

Fettucini with Chicken from the Venetian Ghetto, from Shaun at Winter Skies, Kitchen Algow.

Thanks to all the particpants too!

Please click HERE to view Ani's fantastic round up.

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March's WCC is being hosted by my very lovely friend, Lis of La Mia Cucina. Her theme is

Crockpots, Dutch Ovens & Pressure Cookers.

So find a recipe from a cookbook or magazine in your collection that fits in there, and send it to Lis by March 26.
Her email is lamiacucina AT adelphia DOT net.

Weekend Cookbook Challenge 25 Nigella Lawson

2008-02-13T03:44:00.004Z

This month's Weekend Cookbook Challenge theme is none other than The Domestic Goddess herself, Nigella Lawson.

Send this months hostess Ani at Foodie Chickie your post about a Nigella recipe, or related recipe. Ani's email is foodiechickie at yahoo dot com.

The deadline is February 28.

Weekend Cookbook Challenge - Year Two in review.

2008-01-25T03:52:00.000Z

Wow, I really can't believe it. Here we are after 24 WCC's! That is two full years. Last year I did a recap of year one. Let's look back on Challenges 13 to 24!

middle eastern lamb pizzas from food lover's journey
Challenge 13 rang in the New Year and we cooked from our newest cookbook.

Inca Quinoa Salad from Food Blogga
Tami from Running with Tweezers hosted WCC 14 and her theme was Salad.

Saffron-hearted Truffle Eggs in White Chocolate from Bounteous bites
Marta from An Italian in the US was our hostess for Weekend Cookbook Challenge 15. Her chosen theme was Easter/Spring Food.

yak dumplings from Toast Point
I took the reins back for #16 and we all tried Something New.

Lemon Cornmeal cake from Lemon Almond
Ani from Foodie Chickie hosted WCC 17. I found her Cornmeal challenge to be just that - a challenge!

Rhubarb Strawberry Fool from ME!
Red and White was the theme I chose for Challenge 18.

Broiled Figs from Winter Skies, Kitchen Aglow
#19's host - Paige from Chef-Girl picked a fun theme that month. Dinner and a DVD!

Maple Almond Granola from La Mia Cucina
WCC 20 had an ever so tasty theme - Show and Tell. So many delicious dishes!

Quick and Easy Pumpkin Pie Bars from Batter-Splattered
21 was a hoot too! Michele from Je Mange La Ville chose a scary theme - Halloween!

Butter Chicken Soup from I think I have a recipe for that...
Cady from $40 a Week stayed close to home with her choice of theme - $40 a Week for Weekend Cookbook Challenge 22.

Chocolate Fruit Cake from Mel's Diner
My friend Mike from Mel's Diner carried the torch for December '07 with Celebration Dishes.

Veggie Strata from Oh Mindy!
Hosting duties came back to me for number 24 and the theme chosen was Veggin Out.

Thanks to all of you who took part in any of the 24 WCC challenges. And a very very special Thank You to Michelle from Je Mange La Ville. Michelle is WCC`s most faithful contributor, having participated in 19 of the 24 challenges!
She`s Number One!

Weekend Cookbook Challenge 24 - Veggin' Out

2008-01-22T03:50:00.000Z

There was a great turnout for WCC 24 (Veggin' Out), and if you are looking for a recipe chock full of veggies, this is the place to be. Let's get started!

Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska brings us Red Cabbage with Mushrooms and Blueberries

From An Italian in the US, here's Curry Vegetariano Multietnico

Mel's Diner simmered up a pot of Moosewood Vegetable Stock

I'm Hungry sates the appetite with Brussel Sprouts with Shallots and Nutmeg

Mimi on the Move moves us with Golden Gratin of Rutebega, Turnips and Carrots

Zlamushka's Spicy Kitchen has a lovely Baked Vegetable Stew

Oh, Mindy! shares a Veggie Strata

Once Upon a Feast has a mouthwatering Lentil Spinach and Sweet Potato Ragout

Judy's Gross Eats brings a special Spinach Enchiladas Suizas

I Like to Cook tossed up a Chunky Tandoori Toss Up

Foodiechickie fries up a pile of Zucchini Fritters

Green Gourmet Giraffe shares a vibrant Colorful Carrot Loaf and Asparagus Sauce

Chocolate Moosey does it right with Spinach Mushroom Lasagne

I Like to Cook also makes Creamed Spinach

Lisa's Kitchen goes green with Caldo Verde

Je Mange La Ville says Da to Russian Carrot Pie

Thanks to all of you for taking part! Come back next month when Ani from Foodiechickie is our hostess. Ani has picked Nigella Lawson as her theme. So find yourself a Nigella or Nigella-esque recipe, blog about it and email a link to Ani at foodiechickie AT yahoo DOT com. You have until February 21.

PS - check back in a few days, I'll have a review of year two of Weekend Cookbook Challenge up.

Weekend Cookbook Challenge 23 Round Up - Celebration

2007-12-28T16:51:00.000Z

Chocolate Fruit Cake from Mike at Mel's Diner.

Well, we had a small but still fabulous turn out for WCC 23. Please head over to Mikes post to see some yummy dishes.

Thanks Mike for hosting! You will host again, won't you?

January will be hosted by me and our theme is "Veggin' Out". Let's start the new year off right with some healthy stuff for our bods, shall we?

Email me (iliketocook at shaw dot ca) a link to your post by January 20.

Weekend Cookbook Challenge 22 Round up - $40 A Week

2007-11-21T20:28:00.000Z

Thank you so much to Cady at $40 A Week for hosting Novembers challenge.

Butter Chicken Soup from Kazari from I Think I Have A Recipe For That.

Her recap is HERE. Please go and take a look.

My friend Mike from Mel's Diner has agreed to host for December (Thanks Mikey!) and has chosen a great theme for this very holiday-ish time of year - Celebration Dishes.

Get your post to Mike by December 23. His email is eatatmelsdiner AT gmail DOT com.

Cheers!

Round Up #21 - Halloween.

2007-10-23T04:53:00.001+01:00

A huge thanks from me to Michelle at Je Mange La Ville for hosting WCC this month. Please click HERE to see her fabulous round up.

November brings us Challenge 22 and another guest host - Cady from $40 A Week. Cady has chosen a most interesting challenge for us - $40 A Week! Plan a week's worth of meals that cost less than $40 per person, then cook us a dish from your list.

This is perfect timing for me as moving ain't cheap! Some frugal planning is just what we need.

Please send your post to Cady at gambini AT gmail DOT com by Sunday November 18.

If you need some help, check out Cady's blog or try Googling something like "budget menu planning".

See you next month!

Weekend Cookbook Challenge 20 Round Up

2007-09-19T03:10:00.001+01:00

A big thanks to all of you who took part in Weekend Cookbook Challenge #20 - Show and Tell. We've got a wonderful mix of new and old faces. Let's get started right away with....

Catherine from $40 a Week. Catherine chose a recipe from Sweet Potato Queen's Big Ass Cookbook (And Financial Planner). This recipe cracks me up........and I really want to try it. Here's Love Lard - basically bread, mushroom soup, and bacon. God, doesn't that sound fantastic???

Next up is Ruth from Once Upon a Feast and I am so glad to see her back! Ruth's chosen book is called Inn on the Twenty Cookbook and she made a Blueberry Minted Custard Tart. Delicious!

Marta, An Italian in the US also returns to WCC this month with two beautiful dishes. From the book In Nonnas Kitchen, Marta prepared 'Torta di porri e zucca' (Leek and Butternut squash tart) , and 'Crostini con le fave' (Crostini with pureed fava beans).

Here's another new face - Alex and The Princess and the Recipe. Alex chose a recipe from Kylie Kwong's Simple Chinese Cooking. Here's her Soy Sauce Eggs.

And yet another new fact this month is Cherrapeno and Nicisme. Nicisme made these delicious Chocolate Caramel Nuggets from The Cookie and Biscuit Bible. I wouldn't mind one of these and a cup of tea right about now.

I am always so happy when Shaun stops in at WCC. For WCC this month Winter Skies, Kitchen Aglow is sharing with us the book I Love Crab Cakes and made Chesapeake Bay Classic Crab Cakes with Spicy Remoulade Sauce.

Eunice and Lemon Almond join me again this month. Eunice has baked from Heirloom Baking with the Brass Sisters. Check out these yummy Dutch Apple Cake Muffins.

Next up: another new WCC contributor - Valli and More Than Burnt Toast. Valli was lucky enough to take a trip to Greece last year. From the cookbook The Foods of the Greek Islands, Cooking and Culture at the Crossroads of the Mediterranean, here are some scrumptious Tiganopita me Feta (Feta Cheese Pancakes).

Regular Weekend Cookbook Challenge contributor Michelle from Je Mange La Ville is back with a recipe from The Farmhouse Cookbook. I am very intrigued by this dish, Becky Campbells's Chicken with Carambola.

Check out this delicious looking blog - Cara's Cravings. Cara cooked this Creamy Shrimp and Rice from a book called Pumpkin.

Baking Strong Black Pumpernickel bread from the cookbook Great Breads, here's Jai and Bee from Jugalbandi. Welcome to WCC!

I am so jealous of Carla from Chocolate Moosey and her recent score of 12 cookbooks! She used one of them, Greene on Greens, and whipped up a yummy dish - Kate's Panfried Summer Squash.

From the divine Laura Rebecca's Kitchen, here's Laura with Anisette Toast from Entertaining with the Sopranos.

My darling friend Lis from La Mia Cucina actually sent me her post before the deadline! It truly is a miracle. ;P Just kidding! Lis shares this awesome looking recipe for Maple Almond Granola from Food to Live By. Yum!

I'm glad to see that my friend Mike from Mel's Diner is becoming a regular contributor to WCC! Mike shares salsa with us from his most used cookbook, The Fannie Farmer Cookbook.

Judith stayed up far too late to send me her WCC post, but I'm glad she did! Using a cookbook called Mourir de Chocolat (Death by Chocolate) bought in Paris, Judith and Shortcut to Mushrooms whips up a glorious plate of truffles.

And moi, I made some Coconut Shrimp Lollypops from Surreal Gourmet Bites: Showstoppers and Conversation Starters.

Yum! Thanks again to all of you who took part this month, and those of you who stopped by to read.

Challenge 21 will be hosted by Michelle from Je Mange La Ville and she has chosen a spooooky theme - Halloween! So get your witchy (or wizardy) post to her by October 21. Michelle's email is mlb at jemangelaville dot com.

WCC 19 Round up

2007-08-21T16:37:00.000+01:00

Many thanks to Paige at Chef Girl for hosting WCC this month. She picked a great theme and we had lots of great contributions.

Shitkickin Soup from Paige at Chef Girl.

Please check out the wonderful roundup here at Chef Girl.

Thanks again Paige!!!!

I am hosting again for WCC 20 - and the theme is :Show and Tell.

Pick a cookbook that you want us to know about. Is it your all time favorite cookbook? Is it written by someone you think we should know about? It is your strangest cookbook? We want to know about it. Write about it, cook a recipe, and email me at link - iliketocook at shaw dot ca.

The deadline for getting your posts to me is September 16.

As always, if anyone out there has an idea for an upcoming WCC or if you would like to host, send me an email!

Thanks!

Reminder - WCC 19 - Dinner and a DVD!

2007-08-14T21:58:00.000+01:00

Hi guys,

Just want to remind you that the deadline for sending in your post for WCC 19 - Dinner and a DVD is coming up. Paige from Chef Girl is the hostess this month.

Here's what you do:

Pick a movie/tv show/documentary/concert/whatever DVD from your collection.
Head over to your cookbook collection and find a recipe that somehow connects with your DVD choice.
Cook said recipe, and blog about it.
Email (paige_elizATyahooDOTca) Paige with a link to your post. I would appreciate it ever so much if you'd include a link to the WCC blog too.

The deadline is August 19, and Paige will have the round up done shortly after that.

This is a fun one (not that all the others haven't been fun too!), so get cracking and cooking and join us!

Sara

PS - here's my entry for WCC 19 - You've Got Red On You Pasta, made for one of my favorite movies, Shaun of the Dead.

WCC 18 Round Up

2007-07-20T20:10:00.000+01:00

Hey, thanks for coming to read the round up for Weekend Cookbook Challenge 18 - Red and White. We've got a great crowd this month and it looks like everyone had fun with the theme. I have to admit, I was a bit surprised - not a red pasta sauce in the bunch. Lots of great fruit though, it's that time of year! There's tons of tasty delights this month, so let's start with our first four yummy dishes...

Steph and a whisk and a spoon is back with us again and has prepared a treat near and dear to my heart, the Canadian favorite Nanaimo Bars.

Pamela, The Cooking Ninja contributes a lovely dish called Poivron rouges farcis à la Perpignanaise.

Nadiah from This is me, get over it takes part in her first WCC with this delicious looking Chicken Curry and Red Bell Pepper Raita.

Ani, last month's WCC host at Foodie Chickie did not find a friend in her Red Velvet Cupcakes.

Michelle, who is a regular contributor to WCC at Je Mange La Ville makes a vibrant red soup - Roasted Tomato and Paprika Soup from a book I just received as a gift from a wonderful friend.

Chocolate Moosey and Carla return to WCC with these totally yummy Greek Stuffed Shells.

Katie of Other People's Food has red on the brain too with her Beet Ravioli with Poppy Seed Butter.

Paula, aka The Cookbook Junkie has made one of my favorite things - Balsamic Red Pepper Jelly.

Eunice from Lemon Almond has an impressive Lychee Martini Sorbet. Perfect for this hot weather.

Saffron and Blueberry and Hilda are here with some pretty Strawberry-ChocoLemon-Cardamom Tartlets.

Here's Marta, another former WCC hostess. This Italian in the US brings us two drinks with the red and white theme - Tequila Sunrise and Horchata.

Chrispy is back! From Experimentation of Taste take a look at this Raspberry Tart.

Mary from the beautiful site alpineberry joins WCC for the first time. Please drool over her Cherry Frangipane Galette.

My favorite guy in the kitchen is back. From Winter Skies, Kitchen Aglow here's Shaun and his impressive Pan-Fried Chicken Thighs with a Fennel Seed Crust and Sweet Cherry Compote.

Jerry from Food and Photo takes part with a Blueberry Cream Pie from a cookbook with a red cover.

Also new to WCC this month is Jenn and No Lemon Juice. Jenn made some mouth watering Streusel Raspberry Muffins. Yum.

Ulrike, our friend from Kuchenlatein is back with a Red Currant Tray Cake.

Sarina from TriniGourmet is another newbie this month. She's used Chile powder in her Easy Hot Spiced Mexican Chocolate.

Here's Kelly from Sass and Veracity with a dramatically looking and named Biscuit Glace aux Noisettes.

Haalo is back with us again this month. From Cook Almost Anything at Least Once here's her Baked Raspberry Cheesecake.

And here's my beautiful Rhubarb Strawberry Fool. After tasting this, I am now a fool for fools!

Thank you thank you to all of you who joined me this month. And thanks to those of you who've stopped by to read this. Why don't you get in the kitchen and join us next month?

Speaking of next month, Paige from Chef Girl will be hosting for August. Paige has chosen a super theme - Dinner and a DVD.

Get your posts to Paige by August 19. Her email is paige_eliz AT yahoo DOT ca.

Have a great day, and thanks again for stopping by. See you here next month!!!

WCC 17 Round up.

2007-06-13T20:10:00.000+01:00

Lemony Biscotti from Ruth at Once Upon a Feast

Hi everyone, Ani has the round up for WCC 17 HERE.

Thank for hosting this month Ani!

WCC 18's theme is......

Red and White.

So grab a recipe that has a red or white ingredient. Or use a cookbook with a red cover. Or cook a recipe by Betty White!

Send me your posts by July 15. My email address is iliketocook at shaw dot ca.

Cheers!

ps - as always, if you would like to host WCC or if you have a theme suggestion, email me.

Weekend Cookbook Challenge 16 - Something New Round-up.

2007-05-13T18:34:00.001+01:00

Hi, and thanks for coming to check out the round-up for WCC 16 - Something New.

We've got lots of great contributors today - new and familiar "faces". Let's get started with -

Ronnie from Around the Table and her delicious looking Snook Dip. Snook is certainly new to me, how about you guys? Thanks for sharing such an interesting recipe Ronnie.

Next up is Katie from Other People's Food - welcome Katie! Katie used a new cookbook (everyone's favorite Donna Hay - I've got to break down and buy one of her books) and makes these delicious Lentil and Goat Cheese Tarts. Katie, hope to see you back again!

Quellia from All Things Edible joins us and cooks a Jamie Oliver recipe for the first time. Take a gander at her Pot Roasted Chicken with Sweet and Sour Sauce. Thanks Quellia.

This is certainly our most exotic recipe this month - Katherine from ToastPoint and her Yak Dumplings! Wow. Katherine, you are much braver and adventurous than I.

My friend Ruth, host of Presto Pasta Night over at Once Upon A Feast has 3 somethings new to share with us - including her first time cooking with lobster mushrooms to make this great looking Sort of Grilled Steak with Mushroom Sauce. Thanks Ruth and I'll see you at Presto Pasta this week for sure!

Ahn from Food Lover's Journey is back and this time she's been inspired by her new book by Damien Pignolet to make these lovely Pistachio Fig and Saffron Individual Cakes. Thanks so much Ahn.

Steph and a whisk and a spoon are back at WCC again with another delicous recipe, this time for Rhubarb Brulee Tartlettes with Ginger, and Steph got to use her new mini blowtorch! There are no words to describe how badly I want to eat this right now.

Let's all welcome Janet to her first (and hopefully not last) WCC! Over at Janet is Hungry, Janet used a new book to make her delicious Moussaka, the first time she's ever made it or eaten it! Looks like a winner.

Up next is WCC regular Michelle from Je Mange la Ville who is also using a new book this month and shows off this very interesting sounding Chicken Plum Pie. Michelle has absolutely super recipes on her blog so I know this is another winner. Glad to see you Michelle!

Nora of Life's Smorgasbord uses Persimmons for the first time (something I've never tried either) in the stunning Persimmon Tart. I love that picture. Thanks Nora!

I love the name of Carla's blog - Chocolate Moosey. Love it! Carla has taken a new twist on the quesadilla with these Dessert Quesadillas! Thank you for joining WCC this month Carla.

Hooray! Shaun and Winter Skies, Kitchen Aglow is back! I missed you when you were away. Shaun gives us a bit of a history lesson with his dish Chicken Satsivi. So happy to see you here again Shaun.

And here's Meeta from the super blog What's For Lunch Honey? Meeta is using both a new cookbook and new flavors for her contribution. Check out her Trout with Olive Sauce and Lemon Mashed Potatos. Thanks Meeta!

Up next is Chris from Mele Cotte who uses a new old cookbook from her collection. The raison d'etre of WCC! Chris made a beautiful Tuscan Pudding full of figs and ricotta. Yum.

Emily over at Superspark discovers that celery doesn't have to suck (my words, not hers!) with this really great Orangequat Salad. Thanks Emily, hope to see you back soon!

Eunice from Lemon Almond - go check out her profile picture! - bakes with apples for the first time for this yummy Apple and Raisin Spice Cake. Eunice, I'll be trying this one soon!

Back again is Ulrike, our friend from Germany and frequent contributor to WCC. Ulrike cooks a Mandarin Oranges Cake made with Aranca Dessert Mix. Glad to see you again Ulrike!

Here's my friend Lis of La Mia Cucina who I am always glad to see. This month Lis has made one of my very very favorite things in the whole world - Antipasto! How did you know?

This is Mallow's and Sweet and Savory's first WCC too. Mallow has now joined the converted, become a Dorie fan and tried her World Peace Cookies. Great recipe to start with!

My good friend Mary from The Sour Dough is back and is using a cookbook called "A Taste of Somthing Special" for her WCC post. Go check out Mary's post about airline food of the past and her recipe for Roasted Pepper Salad. Thanks Mary!

Here's Marta, hostess of WCC 15 and blogger over at An Italian in the US with her Macedonia di frutta esotica con crema al limone, panna montata e ventagli. Delcious! Thanks Marta.

And lastly it's ME! From i like to cook I've used a new magazine and a new ingredient in my post for Potato and Cheese Stuffed Chiles!

Thanks to all of you for taking part and thanks to YOU for coming and reading. You should join us some time!

Next month Weekend Cookbook Challenge 17 is being hosted by Ani at Foodie Chickie. Ani has picked "Cornmeal" as the theme. Send your post to Ani at foodiechickie at yahoo DOT com by June 11.

Have a super day!

Weekend Cookbook Challenge 16 - Something New

2007-04-29T15:53:00.000+01:00

Hi everyone! Just wanted to write a quick note about the next WCC. We are up to number 16 now!

The theme for this month is Something New.

So try out a new ingredient, technique, book, utensil, whatever. Just get in that kitchen and cook!

Find a recipe that fits the theme in a never before used or seldom used cookbook from your collection. Or if you would rather, use a recipe from a magazine, website or any source you'd like.

Please email me your post by May 12. I will have the round up posted shortly after that. My email is iliketocook at shaw dot ca.

If you have a suggestion for a theme for an upcoming WCC or would like to host, drop me a line.

Have a great day!

Weekend Cookbook Challenge 15 - Easter/Spring Food

2007-04-15T00:30:00.000+01:00

saffron hearted truffle eggs in white chocolate from bounteous bites.

Hi everyone! The round-up for WCC 15 - Easter/Spring Food is up over at An Italian in the U.S. - click here to read all about it.

Thanks Marta, for being such a super hostess!

Next up is WCC 16. I'm hosting this time around, and the theme will be .........

Something New.

So pull out a new book or kitchen gadget. Or use a new ingredient you've been wanting to try. Maybe try out a new technique! Whatever you decide to do with Something New, make sure you have fun.

Email me a link to your post by Saturday May 12. My email address is iliketocook at shaw dot ca.

Have a great weekend!

Cookbook Spotlight - Ships of the Great Lakes Roundup - Part 2

2007-04-07T16:56:00.000+01:00

Welcome to Part Two of the round-up for the Cookbook Spotlight on Ships of the Great Lakes Cookbook! Part One can be found here with Mary at The Sour Dough. Go check it out if you haven't already done so.

Let's kick off Part Two with Stephanie from Dispensing Happiness and hostess of Blog Party.

Stephanie found so many recipes she wanted to try that she ran out of sticky notes marking all the pages! She contributes the Marinated Focaccia Bread Sandwich and Pay Day Bars to the round-up. Thank you Steph!

Next up is Ruth from Once Upon a Feast and the new weekly event Presto Pasta.

Ruth your picture of the Steamer William A Irvin Grilled Lamb Chops is just beautiful! Glad you enjoyed the book.

I was worried that Shaun at Winter Skies, Kitchen Aglow wouldn't be able to take part in the spotlight, what with moving home to New Zealand to finish his Master's Degree.

Lucky for us, he's here and has prepared a lovely feast; Coconut Pound Cake, Lamb Pot Pie and Baked Apple Dumplings, using New Zealand lamb for the pie. Thanks for the great post Shaun.

Tanna's here from The Half Cup to take part and interestingly she has a past with such ships.

Tanna's tried out three recipes from the book -Cure All Gingersnaps, Buckwheat pancakes and Soft and Creamy Rice Pudding and enjoyed them all. Thanks for joining us on the Spotlight Tanna.

And last but most certainly not least is Mary and The Sour Dough, our raison d'etre for this third spotlight.

Will you look at those brownies? Yum.
As is her way, Mary tried out a pile of recipes; Sourdough Bread, Oven Roasted Baby Bliss Potatos, Braised Beef A La Mode and Chocolate Brownies. I'm going to find that bread recipe - Mary says it's the best!

A huge THANK YOU to Brilynn, Lis, Tanna,Mimi, Shaun, Laura Rebecca, Ruth, Becke, Stephanie, and a extra huge thanks to Mary.

Thanks also to Paula McKenna and Creative Characters Publishing for graciously donating the books!

Weekend Cookbook Challenge 15 - Easter/Spring Food

2007-03-23T16:26:00.000Z

Hi everyone, hope you're enjoying the beginnings of Spring, where ever you are!

Just a reminder that the next WCC is coming up...our theme this month is Easter/Spring Food.

Marta from An Italian in the US is our host this month. Please email her a link to your post by April 9. Marta's email is chemcookit at gmail dot com.

If you are new to WCC, the premise is simple. Grab a never used before or seldom used cookbook from your collection (or a magazine or whatever!) and cook up a dish using the month's theme.

See you at the round-up!

Cookbook Spotlight - Ships of the Great Lakes Cookbook

2007-03-13T23:11:00.000Z

I've teamed up with my friend Mary of The Sour Dough for another Cookbook Spotlight. Our book this time is The Ships of the Great Lakes Cookbook by Paula McKenna.

SotGL is full of recipes from the cooks of the various ships (Tall Ships, Freighters, Passenger Ships) as well as information on the vessels the meals are cooked on. For extra fun and interest, the recipes range from serving 4 people to 60 or more! My favorite recipe so far is the U.S. Brig Niagara Lunch Casserole that serves 50(!).

We've asked 10 food bloggers to join us in reviewing this very unique book. So stay tuned and check back at the beginning of April for the roundup. I think you'll enjoy reading about this fun book.

Cheers!

WCC 14 Salad - Roundup.

2007-03-12T16:09:00.000Z

Hi there! The round up for WCC 14 has been posted. You can see it here. Thanks Tami for hosting this month. It was great!

Caponata from Julie at Veggie Chic.

Weekend Cookbook Challenge 15 is being hosted by Marta from An Italian in the US and her theme is Easter/Springtime Food. Email her (chemcookit AT gmail DOT com) by April 9.

Cheers!

Weekend Cookbook Challenge 13 - Your Newest Cookbook

2007-02-06T21:56:00.000Z

A big thanks to all of you who took part in this 13th edition of The Weekend Cookbook Challenge! Our first challenge after the holidays was to cook a recipe from a newly acquired cookbook. We've got a super turn out this month, so let's get started with...

Shaun from Winter Skies, Kitchen Aglow, who was last month's WCC host. Shaun made this beautiful Tarragon Chicken with Buttered Leeks from the book The Herbal Kitchen by Jerry Traunfeld.

I am excited to have Ian from The Gallumphing Gourmand here at WCC. Ian cooked from The Joy of Cooking's 75 Anniversary Edition. Lucky him! I was hoping to get that for Christmas, but no luck. Here's Ian's Coconut Chicken Curry.

Next up is my friend Mary from The Sour Dough. Mary is making me want to break my diet with these Walnut Bars from The Ships of the Great Lakes Cookbook.

Please welcome Rachel of Rachel's Bite to The Weekend Cookbook Challenge! Rachel made this amazing looking Georgia Peanut Soup that I can't wait to try. Great minds think alike; Rachel's recipe also came from The Joy of Cooking's 75 Anniversary Edition.

Up next is Emmy from one of my favorite food sites Vegan Diva. Emmy has cooked this delicious Potato Foccacia Pugliese from 100 Great Breads by Paul Hollywood.

Here is Ruth from Once Upon A Feast, another favorite of mine. Ruth cooked a dish from one of her and her daughter's favorite cookbooks Heart Smart Cooking For Family and Friends by Bonnie Stern. This Rice Noodle Salad with Lemongrass Chicken looks mouth-watering.

Ulrike from Kuchenlatein is a long time regular at WCC. This month she makes a completely adorable Pirate's Goulash from the German book Montag ist Piratengulasch-Tag.

Marta from An Italian in the U.S. used a book that her father gave her,Cucina Di Tradizione Del Piemonte 2, Secondo Ricettario a Fumetti, which is written in comic-strip style. Marta made three dishes; Apple Cake served with Zabaione Cream, Spinach Sformato and Dolce Di Ricotta

Je Mange La Ville and Michelle are long time supporters of the WCC too. This month Michelle cooks from The Girl and the Fig Cookbook and makes a totally mouth-watering Coq Au Vin.

Hooray, Haalo's back! After skipping last month's stew theme (Haalo lives in Australia where they are thick into their summer), Cook Almost Anything At Least Once returns with a lovely Granita al Caffe that comes from Italian Year by Gennaro Contaldo.

Next up is Ahn from the delicious Food Lover's Journey. Ahn used her new book Arabesque by Claudia Roden and made these tasty looking Middle Eastern Lamb Pizzas.

It's always great to see Pavani and Cooks Hideout join us for WCC. This time around Pavani uses the February Vegetarian Times magazine and prepares Tortilla and Tomato Soup.

Next up is a new face to the WCC. Here's Catherine who runs the blog Food for Thought over at Food Network Canada. Catherine's Superbowl Sunday Chili with Cocoa is based on a chili recipe in Feast by Nigella Lawson. Welcome Catherine!

Just like me, Lis at La Mia Cucina is under the weather. Poor us! Lis is not a fan of her dish, another Nigella recipe, Easy Sticky Toffee Dessert from Nigella Bites by Nigella Lawson. Lis, I don't think you're a dork at all!

I love breakfast, so I'm loving this Ham and Tomato Benedict and Broiled Grapefruit from Chrispy at Experimentation of Taste. These tasty dishes came from The Big Book of Breakfast by Maryana Vollstedt.

Here's the hostess of next month's WCC Tami from running with tweezers! Tami, lucky girl, received 8 cookbooks over the holidays! She chose Penne with Blue Cheese, Beans, Tomatos and Olives from Bountiful Wisconsin by Terese Allen.

Ani from Foodie Chickie used a great sounding cookbook - Best Ever Three and Four Ingredient Cookbook to make this super looking Chorizo Hash. Yum.

Welcome to Renata and Little Bouffe! Renata got a screamin' deal on Daniel Boulud's Cafe Boulud Cookbook and makes this truly lovely Daniel Boulud's Cod with Orange and Endive Sauce and Grits.

Look, Brilynn from Jumbo Empanadas is here! This girl is too funny. Check out her incredible Pitta Breads that she baked with her new book Falling Cloudberries by Tessa Kiros.

I'm always glad to see Meeta and What's For Lunch Honey? at WCC. This month Meeta used her humongous book Culina Mundi and whipped up this Fresh Pasta with Zucchini and Sundried Tomatos. Mmmmm.

Here's a lovely newcomer to WCC, Ramya and Cascading Flavors. What a wonderful name for a food blog. Ramya has prepared Ube Halaya, which is Violet Yam.

Over at i like to cook, I cooked from my new book India's 500 Best Recipes and made these great Spiced Potato Cakes with Chickpeas.

So let's talk about challenge 14! Our host this month will be the delightful Tami from running with tweezers, and Tami has chosen the theme of "Salads". Find a recipe that fits the theme in a seldom or never used cookbook in your collection. Or, use one from a magazine or the interent if you'd rather. Write up a post with pictures and include the recipe if you'd like. Then send your post to Tami at runningwithtweezers AT gmail DOT com by March 5.

Thanks to Tami and all of you, see you next month!

**I'm still under the weather, so if I've made any mistakes or left someone out, my apologies!!!! Email me and I'll get it fixed up.

Weekend Cookbook Challenge 12 - Stew

2007-01-09T21:09:00.000Z

Easy Oven Stew from Ruth at Once Upon A Feast.

The round up for WCC 12 - Stews is up over at Winter Skies, Kitchen Aglow. A big THANKS to Shaun for hosting this month. Click HERE to check it out.

So with this challenge, we've been at it for a whole year! Can you believe it???? I've made a little re-cap to celebrate WCC's 1st birthday. Click on this to see.

Challenge 13 is up next! Since the theme for the first WCC challenge was to use your oldest cookbook, lets make the 13th theme to use a recipe from one of your newest acquisitions! Coming right after the holidays I'm sure that will be easy for most of us.

Please email me (ILIKETOCOOK AT SHAW DOT CA) a link to your post by February 5.

As always, if anyone out there would like to host a month or has ideas for upcoming themes, drop me a line.

See you at WCC next month!

Weekend Cookbook Challenge - A Year in Review

2007-01-09T21:07:00.000Z

A whole year of challenges, time goes by so quickly for some things! I started the Weekend Cookbook Challenge on my site as a solo project to try to make some use out of all the cookbooks that were gathering dust on my bookshelves.

My first post was this delicious Havana Sandwich. We've had it many many times since then, although Scott has not ever added cheese to it like he said he would. Next up for #2 was a delicious cauliflower soup. Hmmm, you know, I don't think I've used that book since. I'll have to remedy that.
My third - I always meant to go back and try to improve on this, but I never did. I used the Tarte Flambe recipe from Cooking with the Mater Chefs by Julia Child.#4 brought us some delicious appetizers - I still think of the Onion Bhajis fondly. We made 2 appetizers from 2 different books. I stuck with the appetizer theme for #5 and made potstickers for the first time.

Then, The Weekend Cookbook Challenge opened up to anyone who wanted to participate.
There were monthly themes and lots of super recipes.

cauliflower fried in butter from kalyn's kitchen.
The theme for Challenge 1 was to use the cookbook you have had the longest.

vegetable moussaka from one hot stove.
December and January are chilly months (well, for most of us in North America at least) so Winter Comfort Food was chosen as the theme for number two.

creamsicle tart from it's a good thing i'm book smart.
Challenge 3 brought the zany idea for Foods in Shades of Orange. Everyone was more than up to the challenge.

blueberry banana bread from running with tweezers.
Easter Breakfast/Brunch was the theme for WCC4, which was great - I love brunch.

burritos from kuchenlatein.
Challenge 5 went Mexican when we celebrated Cinco de Mayo. Ole!

zucchini and fennel frittata from what's for lunch, honey?
The Weekend Cookbook Challenge welcomed summer back with the theme picnic food for #6.

seven hour lamb from je mange la ville.
Lucky Number Seven was the theme for Challenge 7, one of my favorites.

fish pie from malabar spices.
The 8th challenge brought our first guest host, Ruth from Once Upon A Feast. Ruth chose the theme Foreign Foods and it was delicious!

egg and lentil curry from cook's hideout.
Then for Challenge 9 we all stayed close to home and used an ingredient from our country or region.

lefse from frugal cuisine.
WCC 10 was lucky enough to get another guest host, this time Mary from The Sour Dough. Mary chose the clever theme Neglected Gadgets, of which we all have at least a couple!

onion and blue cheese pizza from cook almost anything at least once.
For challenge 11 we boogied down with Party Food!

gulyas from winter skies, kitchen aglow.
We celebrated challenge 12 with another guest host - Shaun from Winter Skies, Kitchen Aglow. Shaun chose the theme "Stew" and we were rewarded with many fine examples.

So thanks to all of you who've taken part in the challenges in the past year, and a extra special thanks to the guest hosts Ruth, Mary and Shaun!

See you at the next challenge,
Sara.

Weekend Cookbook Challenge 11 - Party Food

2006-12-05T02:51:00.000Z

Zucchini Feta Fritters from Michelle at Je Mange La Ville.

Thanks to all of the bloggers who came out and whipped up some Party Food for WCC 11. 'Tis the season and all that, so why not kill 2 birds with one stone?

We've got an amazing assortment of treats here - both sweet and savory. If you've got a party coming up and are looking for some new ideas, I'll bet you'll be able to find something in this round-up.

Let's check out all this deliciousness!

We start off with the new to WCC Sara from the blog Kitten Tits of Steel. Sara made a batch of Ginger Chocolate Crackles cookies. Don't they look yummy?

Chemcookit from the lovely An Italian in the US threw a party recently and shares with us all the food she made, and boy, did she make a ton! Join me as I drool over her Focaccia alla Ricotta e Pesto, Focaccia al Formaggio, Pomodori e Olive, Bigne' alle Olive e Ricotta Salata e Bigne' al Tonno, Crostata alla Ricotta, Bigne' al Cioccolato and Bigne' al Mango.

I welcome Celia and her blog English Pastis to her first WCC as well. Celia made Nigella's Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake which looks sooo good.

I am always so happy to see The Sour Dough's Mary at the WCC. Take a look at these incredible Crab Stuffed Shrimp she made from Paula Deen. Wow!

Everyone say Hi to Ruth from the wonderful Once Upon a Feast. Did you know that Ruth hosts Cooking Class Parties? If you live in the Toronto area, you should check it out. Now let us check out this incredible array of party food from Ruth: Vietnamese Summer Rolls with Thai Salsa, Shrimp and Smoky Chipolte Hummous Sandwiches, Grilled Shrimp and Chipolte Dip, Easy Antipasto, Homemade Pita Chips, Asparagus Bundles, Eggplant Rollups, Jasmine Tea Martinis, Spanish Sangria, Chocolate, Almond and Orange Clusters.

My resolve to stay away from sweets is rapidly weakening as I see these Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes (also a Nigella creation) from Ahn at Food Lovers Journey.

I think my favorite picture of the round-up might be Michelle's picture of her Zucchini Feta Fritters. So much good food over at Je Mange La Ville, so little time.

Meeta, so glad to see you again! Check out this decadent looking Porcini Cream Soup with Parmesan from Meeta at What's For Lunch Honey?

Haalo and Cook Almost Anything At Least Once can make anything look like a million bucks, I swear. My husband is planning to make this Caramelized Onion and Blue Cheese Pizza with Rosemary Oil very soon.

I'm so glad to see Shaun again! Shaun and Eric cooked up 4 delicious treats including Bagna Cauda which I was very interested in as I just did Garlic for the letter G in my ABC's of food. Check out Winter Skies, Kitchen Aglow and the Bagna Cauda, Muhammara, Zucchini Frittata, Chicken Pieces in a Light Satay and Brandy Creme Brulee.

The always fabulous Lis from La Mia Cucina has made a truly lovely Asparagus Tart #182. Perfect Party food!

As for me (Sara at i like to cook) I made an appetizer I've been wanting to try for a while - Confit and Cambazola. It worked out pretty well, I think we'd have it again. If you've got a couple of hours for baking and want to eat lots of bread, this is the one for you!

Thanks to all of you for coming out and taking part in the Weekend Cookbook Challenge. I really appreciate it!

Next month I am happy to say will be hosted by Shaun from Winter Skies, Kitchen Aglow! For WCC #12 Shaun has chosen the theme of Stews. I know this is a busy month for everyone, with lots of celebrating and family stuff, but we are hoping you'll be able to squeeze us in. The submission date will be January 5, 2007 (2007! Can you believe it!!!). Send your link to Shaun at kitchenaglowATyahooDOTcom

We hope to see you there!

The WCC's aim is to get us using those dusty cookbooks on the shelf that haven't been used in a while - or maybe never! We welcome everyone to take part. Use an old cookbook, new one, or find a recipe in a magazine or on the Internet! Hope to see you at #12 in January.

Cheers,
Sara

Weekend Cookbook Challenge #11 - Party Food

2006-11-23T20:24:00.000Z

Just a reminder that the next Weekend Cookbook Challenge #11 - Party Food is just around the corner. Email me (iliketocook at shaw dot ca) your post by December 1. This month we're cooking up some party food. So grab one of your little used cookbooks - or a recipe from any source - and join in.

Spotlight On - Baking: From My Home To Yours - The Round-up!

2006-11-13T17:39:00.000Z

Hey everyone, and thanks for coming to check out the round-up for Spotlight on - Baking: From My Home To Yours. This is a cookbook event/review that I organized with my friends at Houghton Mifflin Publishing Company. We asked 24 bloggers to join me in checking out the new cookbook Baking: From My Home To Yours by the wonderful Dorie Greenspan.

I would like to thank all the bloggers who agreed to take part in this with me. I've enjoyed chatting with so many of you over this past month, getting to know you a bit better and discovering some new food blogs from you along the way. I'm glad all of you had a good time too.

We've got lots of great reviews and delicious food, so let's get started.

First up we have the lovely Jasmine from Toronto, Ontario and her always delicious blog Confessions of a Cardamom Addict. Jasmine has also just started up a new site The Sensual Gourmet that you should check out too. For the Spotlight Jasmine tried out the Mango Bread, Tribute to Katherine Hepburn Brownies, Tiramisu Cake and the All American All Delicious Apple Pie.

Kalyn is the author of the popular blog Kalyn's Kitchen in Salt Lake City, Utah. As many of you know, Kalyn's blog is mainly about the South Beach Diet, so I was so happy when she agreed to join us and prepare a (somewhat) suitable dessert for those on the program. The Parisian Apple Tartlet looks delicious for anyone, dieter or not. Thanks Kalyn!

Next up is Peabody from the totally amazing blog Culinary Concoctions by Peabody. Last month Peabody won the Edible Category in Does My Blog Look Good In This? and it was well deserved. She rocked this event with the Chipster Topped Brownies and Cranberry Upside Downer.

Michelle and her blog Je Mange la Ville hail from beautiful Portland Oregon. She made the Swedish Visiting Cake and some delicious Real Butterscotch Pudding. Thanks for joining me Michelle!

Nic at the popular Baking Sheet is from Los Angeles, California. She is a great baker and enjoyed Dorie's Cinnamon Chocolate Square.

Here's our first international blogger! Pam is a wonderful blogger and soon-to-be-mom over at Posie's Place in Germany. Despite calling herself a novice baker, Pam really hit it out of the park with the scrumptious Tall and Creamy Cheesecake. Pam I hope you saved me a piece!

And my good friend Mary (aka Breadchick) with her blog The Sour Dough from Cambridge, Massachusetts who co-hosted WCC #10 with me tried out a ton of recipes! Ready, here we go, My Best Chocolate Chip Cookies, Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins, Flaky Apple Turnovers, Caramel Topped Flan, and the cover recipe - Devil's Food White Out Cake. They all look super Mary!

One of my favorite Canadian bloggers, heck, favorite bloggers from anywhere is Ruth from Toronto Ontario and the delicious Once Upon a Feast. Ruth says that Dorie's Tribute to Katherine Hepburn Brownies are the best brownies she's tasted EVER! Sounds good to me, thanks so much for taking part Ruth!

Another favorite of mine is the lovely Ivonne of Cream Puffs in Venice who is also from Toronto, Ontario. There must be something in the water! Ivonne tried out the Buttery Jam Cookies and Flaky Apple Turnovers and loved both. Grazie, Ivonne for taking part in the Spotlight!

Next up is Haalo and Cook Almost Anything At Least Once from Melbourne Australia. Haalo has some of the most beautiful food photos on the internet, in my opinion. For the Spotlight Haalo prepared the Cherry Rhubarb Cobbler and Brown Sugar Bundt Cake

Say Hi to another fellow Canadian, recently moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia; Paige aka Chef Girl. Paige enjoyed both the Oatmeal Breakfast Bread and Cranberry Upside Downer. Thanks for taking part in the Spotlight Paige!

Rachel from Baltimore, Maryland has two great blogs; the always yummy Coconut and Lime and her newer site, the stylish Food Maven. Here's what Rachel thought of the Allspice Crumb Muffins and Brrrownies.

I was so thrilled when Emmy from Vegan Diva agreed to take part. With many people either unable to or choosing not to eat dairy/animal products, Emmy takes 2 recipes and shows us how they can be veganized. Here's her versions of Dorie's Dimply Plum Cake and Peanuttiest Blondies. Emmy, thanks again!

I love to visit Lea at Copperpots in Viera, Florida. She's so much fun and has tons of great looking food. Thanks Lea for trying out the Basic Biscuits and Lemon Poppyseed Muffins. They look super!

Not only does Sarah Jane has a fabulous blog, Chef Sarah Jane, she also has a fabulous name! (It's sort of weird too, she's Sarah Jane, I'm Sara Jean...)Another Canadian, but living in LA, Sarah gave two of the most popular recipes a try, My Best Chocolate Chip Cookies and Lemon Poppyseed Muffins.

And here's the lovely Lis from Ohio and her equally lovely blog La Mia Cucina. Lis baked up a storm to share with us the World Peace Cookies, Tarte Tatin and Almost Fudge Gateau and the Sugar Bundt Cake. Lis, you rock! And PS - Happy Birthday!

Morgan made my day when she agreed to take part in this here Spotlight! She is a fellow Calgarian and author of the food/life (is it OK that I called it that?) blog Musings of a Wench. Morgan checked out two recipes - My Best Chocolate Chip Cookies and Coconut Tea Cake.

I'm sure most of you know Meeta of What's For Lunch Honey? from Weimar, Germany. Meeta has both wonderful recipes and some beautiful photography on her site. Thank you, Meeta, for trying out theClassic Brownies and Cranberry Upside Downer for us. Gorgeous as usual!

I was very happy to discover Pavani and Cooks Hideout a while back. Pavani cooks tons of amazing looking food, and I've tried some of her Indian recipes. So. Good! I'm so glad Pavani agreed to help me out for the Spotlight. Here's her review of the book and the Gooey Chocolate Cakes.

Linda, who joined me for a different cookbook review in the summer, is back again! Here's Linda's (from Kayak Soup) take on the Applesauce Spice Bars.

Next is Jen from Sydney Australia and her lovely site Milk and Cookies. Jen has some fabulous baking and restaurant reviews. I wish I could fly over to Sydney and eat at some of those places, they sound so good. Jen tried her hand at the Rugelach and World Peace Cookies and loved both. Thanks Jen.

Yay!!! Tanna has come back from her long trip (lucky gal!) and has a new website too, The Half Cup. Unfortunately her first site became corrupted. Sorry Tanna. But thank you so much for taking part and trying out all these yummy recipes: Dimply Plum Cakes, Sweet Potato Biscuits and Madelines.

Do you all know Stephanie? The whiz of a hostess over at Dispensing Happiness? Among other things, she hosts a Blog Party every month; you should check it out. Stephanie and her cool cupcake stand joined in and tried out the Chocolate Chunk Muffins, Allspice Crumb Muffins and Chocolate Malted Whopper Drops.

A Thank You to Cate from Sweetnicks who squeezed us into her very busy schedule. Hope your Mom is feeling better Cate. Cate couldn't resist trying the Quintuple Chocolate Brownies and frankly, who could blame her? They sound delicious.

And me, well I'm Sara of i like to cook, from Calgary Alberta and I enjoyed every minute of this event! I'd like to thank my husband Scott and all my other tasters who helped me eat all the Savory Corn and Pepper Muffins, Coco Nana Bread, Brownie Buttons, Fresh Mango Bread and Buttery Jam Cookies. It was tough, but somehow we did it!

I love special guests, and here's one for the round up. Helen from Tartelette emailed me and told me that she too had this book and was loving every single thing she had made out of it. Helen has a delicious blog full of scrumptious treats. Helen - I'm still waiting for one of your delicious macaroons! Is it on it's way?? Thanks for emailing me Helen, and thanks for contributing your posts on Dorie's Lemon Merengue Tarts and Applesauce Spice Bars. Delicious!

Well friends, that's it! Once again I'd like to thank all the bloggers who took part . I'd also like to thank Houghton Mifflin Publishing Company, especially David, for asking me to work with them for this event. It was a total thrill. And finally, a HUGE thank you to Dorie Greenspan for just being a warm, talented and gracious person. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as we enjoyed putting it together.

Cheers!

Weekend Cookbook Challenge #10 Neglected Gadgets

2006-11-06T15:35:00.000Z

Fish Pie from Jo at Amuse Bouche

Hey everyone! The round up to Weekend Cookbook Challenge #10 - Neglected Gadgets is up over at Mary's site The Sour Dough.

Click here to read all about it.

Mary, thank you so much for hosting this month. You did a super job! I can't wait to discover other neglected gadgets and appliances in my kitchen...there are many.

As always, if anyone out there is interested in co-hosting a challenge or has suggestions for upcoming months, please email me at iliketocookATshawDOTca.

We've really had to put on our thinking caps for the last couple of challenges. I thought I'd make WCC #11 a bit easier. With the holidays coming up (Thanksgiving for the Americans and Christmas for all of us), we are hitting that season where we all eat too much, drink too much, and get fat. Or is that just me?

The theme for Weekend Cookbook Challenge is: PARTY! Cook us up a dish you'd make for a gathering (intimate or large) of friends, family or co-workers.

Use a seldom used cookbook from your collection, or if you prefer, any source you'd like. I'm just happy to see you there.

Please email me the link to your post by December 1 to iliketocookATshawDOTca.

Cheers!

Coming soon...

2006-10-20T21:26:00.000+01:00

A mass cookbook review! Find out what 25 bloggers from around the world think about the new cookbook Baking: From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan.

The round-up will be posted here and at i like to cook around the weekend of November 12th..

So check back and see what everyone thought of this delicious book!

And don't forget: Weekend Cookbook Challenge #10 - Neglected Gadgets is coming soon! Please email your links to Mary (the host of this month's WCC) by November 3. Mary's email is maryATbreadchickDOTcom.

Cheers!

Weekend Cookbook Challenge #9 - Using An ingredient from My Country/Region

2006-10-05T20:40:00.000+01:00

We've got some fantastic food for you to check out this month so let's get started.

First off we have Meeta from What's For Lunch Honey. I can't believe that Meeta didn't know how to cook when she moved out of her parents home! Times have changed. Check out her delicious looking Spicy Beef and Potato Curry. This one not only looks heavenly, it sounds pretty easy for amateurs of Indian cuisine like me.

Next up is Mary from The Sour Dough. Mary is from Boston Massachusetts, home of Boston Clam Chowder. Feast your eyes on her Thick and Creamy Boston Clam Chowder made with Cape Cod Quahog Clams and Anadama Bread. Mary used her bread maker for the bread, which is made from cornmeal and molasses (among other things of course). Yum.

Say hi to one of my favorite Canadians - Ruth from Once Upon A Feast. Ruth based her feast on her visit to Nova Scotia to see family. It looks like they all had a super time. Check out this menu! Atlantic Canada Dinner: Smoked Cod Chowder, Baked Salmon with Horseradish Jelly, Sliced Just Picked Tomatoes with Basil and Potato and Pear Rosti AND Grandma Dolly's Apple Crisp. Go Ruth!

Here's Chrispy from Washington State and her blog Experimentation of Taste. Not only does Chrispy has some excellent sounding recipes (I can't wait to try the Parsnip and Carrot Croquettes), she also has the cutest dog I've ever seen. Here's her Perfect Oven Broiled Salmon with Blackberry Butter Sauce. This could almost make me a salmon convert. Almost.

Cook's Hideout is the name of Pavani's blog from New Jersey. Now just an aside here - I LOVE Indian food, but have never made it before. The one Indian cookbook I own is so intimidating, and I don't even know what half the ingredients are. But Pavani's blog, which is new to me, is chock full of delicious sounding and straighforward recipes. I see lots of Indian food in my future, including this Egg and Lentil Curry.

Here's my old WCC buddy Ulrike and her site Kuchenlatein all the way from Germany. She shares a recipe from her region of Germany - Dithmarschen. My husband Scott drooled over this picture of her Vintager Hotpot.

Here comes Haalo with her always gorgeous blog Cook Almost Anything At Least Once. Haalo chose to use Wattle Seeds that were harvested in the wilds of Australia by aboriginal communities. She turned to Australian Donna Hay for inspiration and came up with these luscious Wattle Seed and White Chocolate Cakes.

Michelle from Je Mange La Ville picked 2 ingredients she calls "very Oregonish" - salmon and hazelnuts. I am starting to get jealous of all you lucky people near water while I am stuck here in landlocked Alberta. Served with sauteed green beans tomatoes and garlic, this Grilled Salmon with Hazelnut Lime Butter is mighty fancy.

Avert your eyes! I am put to shame with my sad picture of my ugly yet delicious Peppered Steak Flamed with Brandy made with Alberta Beef. It's obvious I need to work on my camera skills.

And we have some special guests! First up is Mags, who does not have a blog of her own. She was just surfin' on the net and found the WCC. She asked me if she could join the WCC even without a blog. Of course! We welcome everyone here with open arms. Here is her Tomato Gratin by Jacques Pepin.

Tomatoe Gratin
adapted from Jacques Pepin

Serves 4-6

2 Lbs Roma Tomatoes
3 slices sandwich bread, toasted
1/2 Cup minced green onions
1 Tsp basil
1 Tb olive oil
4 Tb butter
Salt and Pepper to taste

Peel the tomatoes and chop finely.
Break the bread into pieces and grind in a food processor. Add the basil and onions and process until smooth. With the processor on, pour in the oil and process another 10 seconds.
Melt 2 Tb of butter in a large pan over medium high heat. Add the tomatoes and cook 5 minutes until tomatoes are soft and hot. Season with salt and pepper and add the other 2 Tb of butter. Cook only until the butter is melted. Pour the tomatoes into a shallow baking dish. Cover with the crumbs. Broil until the top is lightly browned. Serve right away.

How delicious does that sound? This would be super with homegrown tomatos - like Mags says she made it with.

The lovely Lis from La Mia Cucina bakes up a totally amazing batch of Apple Brownies. Have you ever heard of such a thing? Me neither, but I'm glad I do now. How incredibly wonderful does that look?

Our other special guest is Val who read about the Weekend Cookbook Challenge in the Florida Herald Tribune and forwarded this recipe for us bloggers to try.

Val says:
"This is a very tasty dish and pretty simple to make. It's a good side dish as an alternative to potatoes or rice, but could also make a nice light meal just by itself. You could substitute some mushroom or vegetable broth for the chicken broth and this would be a good vegetarian dish. As a side dish, this would serve 4 people."

1 tb olive oil
1 small onion chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
21/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup orzo pasta
salt and pepper

Heat the oil over medium heat and saute the onions and mushrooms for about 10 minutes until the mushrooms are nice and soft and the onions are golden. Add the broth and pasta and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring a couple of times, until the pasta is done. Season lightly with salt and pepper and serve.

Doesn't that sound good? Thanks Val, I'm going to be trying that very very soon.

A big thanks to all of you who joined us this month for WCC. I appreciate every single one of you taking the time out of your busy lives to join me each month.

We've got another co-host for Weekend Cookbook Challenge #10! Mary from The Sour Dough has graciously offered to host for next month. The theme Mary picked is super - Neglected Gadgets: Cook a recipe using an appliance or gadget you never use (i.e. fondue pot, waffle maker, that micro-microplane you HAD to have). I think this is going to be great - unfortunately I have a TON of neglected gadgets - which one will I pick?

Email a link to your post to Mary at maryATbreadchickDOTcom by November 3. Mary will post the roundup shortly after on her site.

We encourage you to find a recipe to try in a cookbook from your shelves that you haven't used or perhaps not used in a long time. But if you'd prefer to use a recipe from a website, magazine or out of your own head, it's all good!

As always, if anyone would like to co-host, or has an idea for an upcoming WCC, drop me a line at iliketocookATshawDOTca.

See you next month, have a great October.

Cheers!

Weekend Cookbook Challenge #8 - A Foreign Dish

2006-09-06T04:26:00.000+01:00

Photo from Ruths amazing Indian Dinner.

First off, the world's biggest thanks to Ruth from Once Upon A Feast for co-hosting this month's challenge. Ruth came up with the creative idea of cooking a dish from another country and we got some amazing entries.

You can find Ruth's wonderful round up HERE.

If anyone out there is interested in co-hosting a challenge, or if you have an idea for a challenge, please email me at iliketocookATshawDOTca.

And on to Challenge Number 9! I thought that since Ruth took us on an exotic trip last time, that this time we would stay closer to home.

The theme for WCC #9 is to use an ingredient from your country's cuisine.

If you're stuck for an idea, why not use Google or Wikipedia for ideas?

Please email your post to me at iliketocookATshawDOTca (please note I'm not using gmail anymore) by October 1.

Cheers!

Weekend Cookbook Challenge #7 Lucky Number Seven

2006-08-09T21:00:00.000+01:00

Many thanks to all of you who participated in this months challenge Lucky Number Seven. I admit that it's a bit of a strange theme, but we're all here to have fun, right?
If there are any omissions or corrections, please email me.

First up is Pam from Posie's Place. For the theme, Pam chose a recipe with 7 ingrediants. Her tasty looking Guacamole Burgers with Spicy Chile Con Queso looks fantastic.

Ruth at Once Upon a Feast came up with a bunch of clever ideas for the "7" theme. Ultimately, she chose to prepare a recipe that had "double sevens" for ingrediants and also worked in the fact that I was in the middle of Vegetarian Week over at my blog. Her Couscous and Vegetable Salad with Orange and Garlic looks absolutely fantastic.

Up next is Peabody from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody. Peabody used the Seven Deadly Sins to interpret our theme this month, and the result are these absolutley amazing Chocolate Peanut Butter Love Bars. Peabody, I'm heading over to your house for dessert!

Myself, I went to my bookcase, counted over to the 7th never used cookbook and then looked for a recipe with 7 ingredients. Here's my Bavette Cacio e Pepe.

Paige from Chef Girl spent some time in France earlier this year. She chose to make a recipe from the 7e Arrondissement from the book Paris in a Basket and make this popular gateau aux Amandes et au Chocolat.

Marie-Laure over at O Delices celebrates her birthday on October 7. She made a scrumptious Cinnamon Birthday Cake

Je Mange La Ville's Michelle's recipe comes from one of my favorite chefs - Anthony Bourdain - Gigot de Sept Heures, Seven Hour Lamb. How wonderful!

Haalo from the beautiful Cook Almost Anything At Least Once used her Japanese luck cat for inspiration and make Green Tea Soba Noodles with dipping sauce.

Tami from Running with Tweezers also went the 7 ingrediant route. She madeAvocado Salad with Lemon Bacon and Watercress from her secret boyfriend Tyler Florence.

Breadchick's Mary used a bag of seven bean soup mix as the base for her mouth watering Boston Baked Beans.

Another big thanks to all of you, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

I am so excited to announce that the next challenge will be co-hosted! The super fantastic Ruth from Once Upon A Feast has agreed to co-host the next event. She has chosen the theme of a Foreign Dish - something from a culture other than your own. Please email Ruth at ruthAT4everykitchenDOTcom with your submission by September 4. The round up will be posted shortly after, with a link on the WCC page.

Enjoy the rest of your summer, and see you soon.

Cookbook Spotlight - Kitchen Sense by Mitchell Davis

2006-07-17T00:54:00.000+01:00

25 food bloggers. 1 cookbook. Outstanding choices.

When Cath and I invited several food blogger friends to join us in our
inaugural Cookbook Spotlight event, we were all curious to see what everyone
would choose from Mitchell Davis's new cookbook, "Kitchen Sense," to make.
As it turned out, everyone chose something different -- and with surprising
results. One foodie made that most "Southern" of dishes -- fried chicken --
in Singapore!

And despite initial disappointments regarding the lack of photos, we
discovered that half the fun of the event was seeing how fellow food
bloggers style and photograph their masterpieces -- so technically, the book
does have photos!

Here's part two of the round up -- Cath has part one at A Blithe Palate -- enjoy!

Lis over at La Mia Cucina is from Ohio, USA and made Davis' "Ultimate Macaroni and Cheese".

Ali Cat from Something So Clever in Montana, USA made a very wonderful looking "Grilled Portobello and Sun Dried Tomato Sandwich with Garlic Herb Mayo".

Up next is Jennifer from Fallen Souffle and her delicious "Berry Crisp".

Tania from the lovely Candied Quince made a mouthwatering "Warm Barley Salad with Green Beans and Corn".

Dave over at The Fumbling Foodie lives in Glendale Arizona, USA. Dave didn't post about a dish he made, but he has a fantastic view on the book.

Here's Adam from Austin, Texas USA and his site

Men In Aprons who tried out the recipe for Cranberry Jonnycakes.

And now let's head over to Sweetnicks and read Cate's review, shall we?

Great minds think alike... Ruth at Once Upon a Feast from Toronto, Ontario also made "The Ultimate Macaroni and Cheese"!

Kalyn is from Salt Lake City, Utah, USA and on her super website
Kalyn's Kitchen she tried the "Creamy Cucumber Salad".

And let's head over to Vancouver, British Columbia, say Hi to Linda at
Kayak Soup and drool over her "Strawberry Shortcake".

Another fellow Canadian, the fabulous Jasmine from
Confessions of a Cardamom Addict made 4 delicious looking dishes - "Banana Cake", "Porcini Risotto", "Roast Pork, Tuscan Style" and "Roasted Tomato Soup with Chickpeas Spinach and Cumin".

From Melbourne, Australia here's Haalo from
Cook Almost Anything Once. Haalo tried out a huge number of recipes! "Spicy Moroccan Olive Salad", "White Anchovies with Garlic and Parsley", "Fresh Corn Chowder", "Tuna Tartar with Toasted Sesame", "Salmon Tartar with Preserved Lemons and Olives", "Duck Prosciutto", and "Rugelach".

Mary's from Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA and over at
The Sour Dough she too cooked up a feast:"Grilled Portobello with Garlic Herbed Mayonniase Sandwich", "Hamburger Heaven", "Roasted Red Peppers", "Corn on the Cob", "Summer Fruit Cobbler", "Burst Cherry Tomatos", and "Basic Vinegrette".

Tami from Running With Tweezers

raves about her "Black Eyed Pea Fritters With Country Ham".

As for me here in Calgary, Alberta, I made 3 dishes at i like to cook

- "Burst Cherry Tomatos", "Buttermilk Biscuits with Sausage Gravy", and "Succotash".

The verdict? A great book and a lot of fun. Thank you to everyone who
agreed to join us and helped us satisfy our curiosity to the question --
what happens when 25 foodies get the same cookbook?

Weekend Cookbook Challenge #6 - Picnic Food

2006-06-29T17:01:00.000+01:00

Weekend Cookbook Challenge #6 is all about Picnic Food - and I don't know about where you live, but I am happy that we are finally getting some weather to go along with all these fabulous entries! A big thanks to all our participants, and hope to see you at the next challenge.

Please email me with any corrections to sara.wcc@gmail.com

Alicat from Something So Clever starts us off with a very refreshing looking Apricot Cooler.

Mary at Breadchick made an entire feast, and also gives you a teaser about the upcoming Cookbook Spotlight.

The Chocolate Lady at In Mol Araan not only makes a lovely Courgette Souffle, but brings some art appreciation too!

Say HI to Deb at Here and There! She's made an impressive Courgette Crown Bread. Deb's post is in sections, so go here (hee! get it?) and scroll down to read the whole yummy thing.

Over at My Life As A Reluctant Housewife, Gabriella bakes some perfect looking Frittatas from Martha Stewart. Gabriella has posted the recipe here.

Georgia from Not A Domestic Diva bakes some fantastic looking Chewy Fudgy Brownies.

Haalo and her lovely blog Cook Almost Anything At Least Once join us from "Down Under" with a spectacular dish - Escabeche of Ocean Trout.

Laura Rebecca from Laura Rebecca's Kitchen prepared 2 very picnic worthy dishes - Lemon Sugar "Snap" Cookies and Fresh Tomato and Basil Pasta.

Over in Germany, Meeta from What's For Lunch Honey also has zucchini on the mind for her perfect Zucchini and Fennel Frittata.

Michelle from Je Mange la Ville has made a very nice looking dip - a Greek Lima Bean Dip from one of the great Moosewood books. Yum!

Mickey from Kitchen Inferno has definitely made the most interesting dish of the challenge: Jellied Chicken.

The wonderful Ruth from Once Upon A Feast outdoes herself again with a wonderful picnic meal featuring Wheat Berry and Lentil Salad

Lis at La Mia Cucina makes her favorite Summer Tortellini Salad. Looks great!

Kalyn over at Kalyn's Kitchen puts a spin on a traditional picnic food and gives us Curried Stuffed Eggs.

My fellow Albertan Paige at Chef Girl has made some great looking Chicken Salad Wraps. I do love chicken and grapes!

The lovely Ulrike from Kuchenlatein baked a very hearty and impressive Picnic Pie.

As for me over at i like to cook I finally cracked open one of my Jamie Oliver books and made The Best Pasta Salad and Pukka Pineapple with Bashed-up Mint Sugar

Thanks to all of you! Hope you enjoyed the round up, and please join us next time.

On a sad note, I hate to tell you all that Ali has decided to leave the Weekend Cookbook Challenge. I'm sure sad to see her go, as I know all of you are as well. I wish her the best, and hope that she'll make the occasional appearance around here from time to time.

Our next challenge is our seventh. So, Lucky Number 7 is our theme! What do I mean by that? Well, I'm going to let you interpret it any way you wish. To give you some ideas though -
Something gambling related.
A "lucky" food from your or someone else's culture.
A dish with seven ingredients.

You're all smart people. I know you'll figure out something great. Email me your contributions by August 4 and the round up will be posted shortly after.

Until then,
Happy Cooking.

Alicat and Sara

PS - if you'd like to suggest challenge ideas, suggestions in general, or would like to host or co-host a challenge, let me know!
S

WCC 5 - Cinco De Mayo

2006-05-09T05:13:00.000+01:00

I am very excited about this months WCC challenge - celebrating Cinco De Mayo - because I love, love, LOVE Mexican food. Sadly, there are not many Mexican restaurants in Calgary. So I am looking forward to combing through all the entries to look for tasty dishes to try.

I made two dishes for WCC - a soup and main course and was thrilled with both of them. The soup, Spicy Zucchini with Rice and Lime came from a small cookbook I got out of a discount bin. It's called "Cookshelf Mexican" by Marlena Spieler. The main course - Calypso Roti with Mango Mojo came from my current favorite cookbook Rebar Modern Food Cookbook by Audrey Alsterberg and Wanda Urbanowicz. I am crazy about this book; although this is the first thing I have actually made out of it, I have read it cover to cover three times and have marked almost every recipe to try out.

Spicy Zucchini Soup with Rice and Lime by Marlena Spieler.

This soup is a snap to make, an amazing color and made the house smell incredible. If you like zucchini, make this soup.

4 generous servings

2 tb oil
4 garlic cloves thinly sliced
1 tb chile powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
6 1/4 cups chicken stock, vegatable stock or beef stock
2 zucchini, cut into bite size pieces
6 tb long grain rice, orzo or other small pasta
salt and pepper
lime wedges

Heat the oil over medium high heat, add the garlic and cook until the garlic just starts to color, 1 or 2 minutes. Add the chile powder and cumin and stir for 1 minute more. Add the stock zucchini and rice and simmer for 10 minutes, until rice is cooked and zucchini is tender. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into bowls and squeeze lime over top.

Calypso Roti with Mango Mojo adapted from Rebar Modern Food Cookbook

Everyone should own this book - it's a wonder. The mojo is so incredibly good and I bet would be amazing with shrimp. An extra plus - there's no fat!

4 servings

4 whole wheat tortillas
2 sweet red peppers
1 tb oil
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 19oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 garlic clove
juice of 1/2 lime
1 chipolte pepper in adobo sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 tb chopped cilantro

Combine the beans through cilantro in a food processor and process until combined and the consistency you would like. Season to taste.

Wrap tortillas in foil and warm in a 300' oven. Thinly slice the peppers. Heat oil over medium high heat and saute peppers until soft.

Romove tortillas from oven and spoon beans down the centre. Top with the peppers and cabbage and drizzle with the mojo. Roll up and serve.

Mango Mojo

1 mango
juice of 2 limes
2 cloves garlic
1/2 hot pepper minced, or hot sauce to taste
1 tsp salt
2 tb chopped cilantro

Puree in a food processor until smooth.

Weekend Cookbook Challenge #4 - Caesars Three Ways

2006-04-13T20:41:00.000+01:00

This month's Weekend Cookbook Challenge is Easter Breakfast and/or Brunch. And since to me Easter means family, and family means drinks, I'm going with some cocktails!

Most Easters we spend with my parents, either here in Calgary or with them in B.C. Since no one has to drive anywhere, we'll usually have a couple of drinks before dinner. And during. And after.

My mom always has a different "drink special" every time we see them - margaritas, mojitos, or everyone's favorite - the Caesar.

Now, I am going to hazard a guess that most non-Canadians don't know what a Caesar is. Oh man, you don't know what you're missing!

Here's what wikipedia has to say:
"A Caesar...is a cocktail popular mainly in Canada. It contains vodka, clamato, Worcestershire sauce, tabasco sauce, and is served on the rocks in a large celery salt rimmed glass, and typically garnished with a stalk of celery and a wedge of lime. It is not well known in the U.S., and many Canadians living abroad prize a bartender who can mix a good Caesar."

Incidentally, the Caesar was created right here in Calgary, where I live. The original was made with tomato juice and mashed clams. Now they are made with Clamato which is tomato juice and clam nectar. DON'T say ew, or yuck or gross. It is truly, truly delicious.

Nectar of the Gods, dude.

So for WCC, I present to you:

Caesars - Three Ways.

Here are the basic ingredients you'll need for a Caesar:
vodka
clamato
Worcestershire sauce
tabasco sauce
lemon or lime wedges
celery stick
small plate
celery salt or rimmer

At our house we use rimmer, which is just spicy salt.

Classic Caesar
1 serving
1 oz vodka
6 oz (3/4 cup) Clamato
2-3 dashes Tabasco
2-3 dashes Worcestershire
Pour some celery salt or rimmer on the small plate. Run a wedge of lime or lemon around the rim of the glass, and dip in the salt. Set aside.
In a large glass, combine the vodka, Clamato, Tabasco and Worcestershire. Mix well. Place 2-3 ice cubes in the rimmed glass and pour in the Caesar. Add a celery stick and wedge of citrus.

Smoky Caesar
Same as above, but add 4 drops of liquid smoke.

Tequila Caesar
Same as above, but substitute 1 oz of tequila for the vodka.

The tequila one is my current favorite. Scott can't stand it, but he doesn't like tequila, so there you go.

You can also substitute the celery for a piece of picked asparagus, a pickled green bean, or a couple of pimento stuffed olives. All are equally delicious.

If you have a chance to try one of these out, be it on a visit to Canada, or perhaps if you local store happens to stock Clamato, give it a go. It's a perfect brunch drink. And if you don't enjoy alcohol, a virgin Caesar is just as good.

I'll raise my glass to you all this weekend as me and my family enjoy our Caesars.

Happy Easter!

WCC - Foods in Shades of Orange.

2006-03-07T02:19:00.000Z

This month's WCC challenge was "Food in Shades of Orange". I found a very interesting recipe from a new cookbook I had just picked up.

"All Stirred Up - Over 150 of the Best Recipes From the Women's Culinary Network". I have never heard of the Women's Culinary Network before, have you? I have marked several recipes to try in the future, but for this day I chose Curried Lentil Soup by Kim Rabe. I chose it for 3 reasons:
1. I have never cooked with lentils before.
2. I like curry.
3. It sounded like it might come out an orangy color.

I'm not going to say too much about this soup - it just wasn't for me. While the taste was alright, it wasn't anything to get excited about. Also, it separated into 2 layers - a watery layer and a thicker orange layer. Very strange. Hey, at least it was orange.

Curried Lentil Soup
by Kim Rabe

2 tb olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tb curry powder
1 tb tomato paste
5 cups vegetable stock
5 cups water
2 cups red lentils
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper

In an large saucepot, heat oil over medium heat and saute onions, celery, carrot and garlic for 5 minutes, until onion is softened. Stir in the curry powder and cook for one minute. Add all the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, until lentils are softened and creamy. Discard bay leaves before serving.

Makes 6 servings.

WCC - Winter Comfort Food

2006-01-29T20:41:00.000Z

This months' challenge on Weekend Cookbook Challenge is winter comfort food. I think a perfect winter comfort food is beef stew. When I was little my mom would make beef stew almost every week of winter in her crock pot. This is much fancier than the stew my mom would make. I got Anthony Bourdain's cookbook when it came out in September 2004. I've read it cover to cover, but until now never actually cooked out of it. God bless the WCC.

Boeuf Bourguignon
from Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook

I took this picture to show you how truly gorgeous this book is. In addition to lots of wonderful sounding recipes (that I hope to soon try) the pictures are tremendous. Doesn't that make you hungry?

2 lb paleron of beef or "chicken steak" cut into 1 1/2" pieces
salt and pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
4 onions, thinly sliced
2 tb flour
1 cup red wine
6 carrots, cut into 1" pieces
1 garlic clove
1 bouquet garni

(I don't know what either Paleron or Chicken Steak is, we just used a nice quality steak)
Season the meat with salt and pepper. In a dutch oven or heavy pan, heat the oil over high heat until it is almost smoking. Add the meat in batches and sear on all sides until the meat is well browned. When all the meat has been browned and set aside, add the onions and cook, over medium high heat until the onions are soft and golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Sprinkle in the flour, and cook for another 4 minutes. Then add the red wine, bring to the boil, and scrape up all the bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Return the meat to the pan and add the carrots, garlic and bouquet garni. Add enough water to cover by one third and two spoons of demi glace, if you have it (I added a bouillon cube). Reduce to a simmer and cook for 2 hours, stirring every 20 minutes or so. When done, remove the bouquet garni and serve.

This was a real winner and I'll be making it again very soon. The meat was quite tender and the sauce was very rich and flavorful. I'm not usually one for things like bay leaves and bouquet garni, but you can sure taste the flavor they leave behind. But the best part? It tasted even better the next day.

WCC Roundup

2005-12-19T03:09:00.000Z

Go HERE for the roundup.

WCC - My Oldest Cookbook

2005-12-10T22:06:00.000Z

I am excited to write my first post for the new Weekend Cookbook Challenge hosted by myself and Alicat. I am really looking forward to the recipes and memories that all of the contributors will share.

The first challenge for the new WCC is to cook something out of the cookbook you have owned the longest. When I was younger I would regularly clean out my cookbooks, selling those I had no longer had an interest in to the used book store. So, my cookbook that I have had the longest was given to me by my Grandmother when I was getting ready to leave home at 18. It's called The Working Family's Cookbook. My sweet Grandmother never knew that I couldn't afford to cook anything out of here; I existed on toast and peas and rice and cheap food bought from the restaurant I worked at. I only kept this book because my Grandmother had given it to me;it's not something I would have bought for myself. Had I got it as a gift from someone else, it would have been out of my collection long ago. But now my Grandmother is gone, and this cookbook is one of the memories I have of her. I will never, ever give up this cookbook, and plan on cooking as many recipes out of it as I can, for her.

Well! On to the recipe. Since the weather here took a turn for the worse last week, I decided to make a hearty winter-y type dish. And sometimes nothing says winter better than a casserole.

Chicken Broccoli and Garlic Pasta Casserole
Serves 4
Adapted from the Working Family's Cookbook by Irena Chalmers
8 oz Radiatore pasta
3 cups broccoli florets and thinly sliced and peeled stem
3 tb butter
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tb flour
1 tsp dry thyme
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups milk
1 bay leaf
2 chicken breasts, cut into thin slices
Pinch ground nutmeg
parsley
1 small container cottage cheese
Parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain and place in a large bowl.

Steam the broccoli for 5 minutes. Add to the pasta.

Heat oven to 350'.

In a large pan, heat butter over medium heat. Cook onion for 5 minutes until soft, then add the garlic. Add thyme and flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the stock and milk and whisk to combine. Add the bay leaf and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring every minute or so. It's ok if the chicken is not fully cooked through. Remove from the stove and season with salt pepper and nutmeg. Add to the bowl with the pasta and broccoli and stir to combine.

Line a 11x8 baking dish with parchment paper and pour in the pasta mixture. Spread the cottage cheese to top and grate some Parmesan cheese over the top.

Look at Scott go!

Bake for 20 minutes, then put under the broiler for 5 minutes or so to melt and brown the top.

This was very good and fairly quick too. I might add a bit more garlic and something other than thyme next time I make it. And maybe I'll try replacing the chicken and broccoli with something else. Ham and peas? Slices of pork tenderloin and mushrooms? Mmmmm, the possibilities could be endless.

WCC#5 - Fat Horse Potstickers

2005-10-26T05:38:00.000+01:00

This weekends cookbook was the local The Best of City Palate cookbook. City Palate is a local food newspaper released 10 times a year, covering the Calgary "Food Scene".

Dumplings are great and tasty, but are time consuming to make and cook. You'll need a couple of hours free to make them. If you wanted, once you made them you could freeze them and store them for when the dumpling mood strikes you. Or, do what we did, cook and eat, standing in the kitchen.

Fat Horse Potstickers
adapted from Best of the City Palate

makes approximately 30 potstickers

wonton wrappers
1/4 lb raw chicken, ground or finely chopped
1/4 lb raw pork, ground or finely chopped
1/4 lb crab meat, shredded
2 tb chopped cilantro
10 cloves garlic, minced
2 tb ginger, minced
2 green onions, minced
2 tb tamari
2 tb coconut milk
1 egg
1/2 jalapeno, minced
peas

Blend all ingredients together except wrappers and peas. Heat a frying pan and cook a spoonful of the filling to make sure it tastes good. If necessary, adjust the seasonings. Measure spoonfuls of the filling into the wonton wrappers and form into a flat bottomed dumpling that is open at the top. Stick a pea in the centre of each.

Heat some oil over medium heat in a non-stick pan. Add the potstickers in a single layer. The size of your pan will determine how many batches you will have to cook yours in. Cook until the dumplings are brown on the bottoms, then add about 1/4" of water, cover and steam for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and cook until all the water has evaporated. Use a flexible spatula if you have one, to remove the dumplings carefully from the pan.
Serve hot with vinegar chile dip, plum sauce, or hoisin.

Vinegar chile dip
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup water
sugar to taste
salt to taste
chile flakes to taste

WCC #4 - Appetizers

2005-10-18T04:38:00.000+01:00

This weekend I tried 2 new recipes instead of 1. Scott and I were supposed to go to the Rocky Mountain Wine and Food Festival this weekend, but Scott is ill and not able to leave the house. So I brought the appetizers to him.

I bought Fab Food from a discount bin a couple of years ago. It has a lot of tasty sounding recipes, including Welsh Rarebit, which I LOVE, but the recipe for Onion Bhajis with Spicy Sauce has always sounded good.

onion bhajis with spicy sauce
adapted from Fab Food from White Cap Books

spicy sauce
1 chile pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 red or orange pepper, diced
1 small can diced tomatos
1 garlic clove, diced
2 tbs brown sugar
1 tb cider vinegar

Combine all ingredients in a small pot. Simmer for 15 or 20 minutes. Remove from heat. I used my hand blender to smooth it out a bit.

onion bhajis
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chile powder
1 egg
1 onion, very thinly sliced
handful cilantro, chopped
oil for frying

Mix the dry ingredients together. Add the egg and 2 to 3 tb water, whisk to make a smooth batter. Stir in the onion and cliantro.

Heat the oil in a medium to large pot. Fry tablespoons of the batter 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until crisp and golden. Drain on paper towels.

These were really great. The spices were nice with the onion, and who doesn't love a fritter? The sauce was definatly the best part. I increased the sugar from the original recipe, turning it into a sweet-spicy dip.

They were Scott's favorite part of dinner!

I also made Chorizo and Artichoke Quesadillas.

This is another bargain bin cookbook. Mexican food is one of my very favorites, but we don't have many Mexican places in our area. I chose this recipe because I really like chorizo.

chorizo and artichoke heart quesadillas
adapted from Cookshelf Mexican from Parragon Publishing
1 chorizo sausage, diced
1 small jar marinated artichoke hearts
2 cloves garlic, diced very finely
4 flour tortillas
grated cheese (I used marble cheese because that's what I had)
tomato, diced
2 or 3 green onions, diced
small handful cilantro, diced

Cook the sausage over medium heat.
Arrange the sausage and artichoke hearts on the tortillas. Transfer to a baking sheet. Sprinkle with garlic and top with the cheese. Broil until the cheese has melted.
Cut into wedges and sprinkle with the diced tomatos, green onions and cliantro.

These were quite good too, although I wasn't crazy about the chorizo. I wasn't sure about the garlic, but it really added a great flavor. I would make them again, I think they'd make a good quick dinner too, maybe replacing the chorizo with chicken or steak until I find a better sausage.

WCC#3 - Tarte Flambe

2005-10-02T19:04:00.000+01:00

This weeks WCC cookbook is "Cooking with Master Chefs" by Julia Child. I have had this cookbook for years and have read it over and over again. There are many great sounding recipes in it, but, like all cookbooks in the WCC, I haven't cooked out of it yet.

I was torn between 2 recipes from this book, so Scott made the final call. I think he chose this one because it had cheese and bacon, 2 of his favorite things.

There is no open flame used for this savory tart. The books says the name comes from the Alsatian method of baking. The tart was cooked in a bakers oven when it was being fired, and when the oven flared up, the flames would engulf the tart.

Tarte Flambe, Alsatian Flammekueche
by Andre Soltner, from Cooking with Master Chefs

7 to 8 oz puff pastry
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup creme fraiche
1 tb flour
salt
pepper
2 tb vegetable oil
4 oz bacon, diced
1 cup thinly sliced onion

Lightly flour your counter, and roll the pastry into a 20 inch square, less than 1/8" thick. Cut into 4 disks, 8" across. Transfer to a baking sheet. Prick all over with the tines of a fork. Cover with saran and chill at least 1/2 hour.

Process the cottage cheese in a food processor until smooth. Add the creme fraiche, flour, salt and pepper and oil. Process to combine.

Fry the diced bacon over medium heat. When the bacon starts to render it's fat, add the onion and cook another 3 minutes. Take off the heat and let cool.

Leaving a 1/4" border, spread the cheese on the pastry. Top with the bacon and onions. Bake in a 425' oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Tarts may be assemble several hours in advance. Cover loosely and refrigerate.

I could not find creme fraiche, I used sour cream instead. In typing this, I realized I missed the step to add the flour and oil to the cheese. It tasted fine to us though. Would I make this again? Absolutely, although I would go a bit heavier on the bacon and onion. We felt the tarts were a little too light on the toppings. Once again, Julia scores a touchdown! Published in 1993, this is a neat book to look back on. Included in the "Master Chefs" that Julia Childs cooks with are: Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, who used to have a show on the Food Network and have 3 restaurants, Jacques Pepin, Alice Waters, and Emeril Lagasse, who looks like he's about 12 years old.

WCC #2 - Silvana's Velvet Cauliflower Soup

2005-09-19T03:42:00.000+01:00

The recipe for the WCC #2 comes from "The Best" by Paul Merrett, Silvana Franco and Ben O'Donoghue. I loved this show when it was on the Food channel. 3 cooks/chefs competing against each other to cook the best dish in different categories. This was a dish cooked for their "Best Summer Soup" competition.

Instead of picking a cookbook first and then a recipe, this week I picked the ingredient first. I bought the world's biggest head of cauliflower yesterday at Millarville. It weighed just under 5 pounds and cost $3.00.

We really enjoyed this soup. I think I went a little too heavy on the cauliflower. The recipe just calls for a large head. I used 1/2 of the gigantic head and it was a bit too much. We also added a couple of handfuls of sharp cheese for Scott, since this wasn't a cauliflower cheese soup. The croutons were yummy too. Thanks to Scott for the great picture of the bowl of soup!

Silvana's Velvet Cauliflower Soup
adapted from The Best, recipe by Silvana Franco.

750 ml milk
2 garlic cloves
1 bunch green onions
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp tumeric
1 large head cauliflower
2 tb olive oil
2 tb grated parmesan cheese
1/2 small ciabatta loaf
100 g pancetta, cubed
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400'. Pour the milk into a pot. Roughly chop the garlic and add to milk. Finely chop the white part of the bunch of green onions and add to the pot. Add the cumin and tumeric and salt and pepper. Break up the cauliflower into small florets and add to the pot. Bring to the boil and simmer partially covered for 20 minutes, until cauliflower is tender.

Meanwhile, toss the oil, parmesan cheese and some pepper in a bowl. Cube the bread and coat with the cheese. Spread out the cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet for 15 to 20 minutes, until crisp and brown.

Dice the pancetta and fry over medium heat until golden, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towel and set aside.

Finely slice the remainder of the green onions.

Puree the soup, either in a food processor or with a hand blender. Check the seasonings. Ladle into bowls and top with the green onions, croutons and pancetta.

WCC #1 - Havana Sandwiches

2005-09-12T19:35:00.000+01:00

This the THE sandwich. They are very good and very big - I didn't even finish half of mine. It is so good you'll want to kiss the cook. Scott says to think about adding some cheese - like mozza or gouda. That is what he's doing next time we have these.

Havana Sandwiches
adapted from Vegetarian Planet by Didi Emmons

1 loaf of bread, like a french loaf
1 onion, sliced
1 orange or red pepper, sliced
1 garlic clove minced
1 canned chipolte pepper with adobo sauce
1/4 cup mayo
1 tomato sliced

Cut two thick sections of bread from the loaf. We used about 3/4 of a loaf of bread for 2 sandwiches. Split horizontally. Put a cutting board on top of the bread and weigh down with some cans. Leave until you are ready to assemble the sandwiches.

Heat 1 tb oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Saute the onions and peppers until soft, about 15 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, chop the chipolte and mix with the mayo and garlic.

Remove the weights from the bread. Spread all pieces of bread with the mayo. Top on half of each sandwich with the peppers mixture, and top that with the tomatos. Top with the remaining bread.

In the same skillet, heat another tb of oil. Add the sandwiches and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side until golden and crisp. Serve immediately.

Weekend Cookbook Challenge

2005-09-12T14:33:00.000+01:00

For months I have been working on a blog entry that lists all the cookbooks I own. I have redone it over and over. I am working on it again and almost have it done. One thing I noticed is that even though I have these books at my fingers, I rarely use most of them. Some of them I have never cooked out of. It's time to change that. So I am starting my Weekend Cookbook Challenge (or WCC for short). Ever weekend I'll pick one of my cookbooks and randomly or not, depending on my mood, choose a recipe to cook.
It's just that simple.

First entry will be up shortly.

Weekend Cookbook Challenge #1

2005-01-03T02:04:00.000Z

Wow! First off, a huge thanks to all the wonderful bloggers out there who sent us entries for this edition of Weekend Cookbook Challenge. We received 29 entries, from as close as Sara's hometown of Calgary to as far away as Belgium!

Our first challenge was to find the cookbook you have had the longest and pick a recipe to make. We also asked you to tell us something about the book. Was it a gift? Did you buy it for yourself? What special meaning (if any) does it hold for you?

We got some great responses, from people who have had these books since childhood, to those of you who had their eyes opened to cooking in high school and beyond.

All these stories are special. We hope that you enjoy reading them, and perhaps find a few new recipes or cookbooks to encourage you to try new ideas in your kitchen.

See you at the next challenge!

Alicat and Sara

Continue for the round up!
Tagged with: Weekend Cookbook Challenge

Starting with our hosts, Sara and Alicat:
Sara opened up the The Working Family's Cookbook, a very sentimental present from her late Grandmother, to make Chicken Broccoli and Garlic Pasta Casserole - with some help from her husband Scott to assist in the Parmesan grating. Nice assist Scott!

Alicat found her first cookbook given to her as a teeny bopper, the Rock & Roll Diner cookbook and made a tart and unique tasting Key Lime Pie - made with only Key lime juice, of course.

And making a guest appearance is Alicat's mom, Missy, with a recipe for Cola Cake from a cookbook she has had since her 20s. Go Missy!

Starting in order from first entry received:

Georgia from Not A Domestic Diva comes in a week and a half ahead of the deadline with two recipes from the New Basics Cookbook - Lemon Lace Cookies and Steffi Berne's Hazelnut Lace Cookies. Now that is impressive from a girl claiming to not be a domestic diva! A gold star for Georgia! You are now the class pet.

On her heels is Anna from Cookie Madness! with Oatmeal Cookie Bars With Chocolate Icing from the Betty Crocker's Cookie Book. Anna wisely uses up some leftover Halloween candy and makes some delicious looking cookie bars for her little girl, Fuzz.

Jen from Fallen Souffle originally bought her oldest cookbook for a friend, but wisely kept it for herself in the end. Apricot Glazed Chicken is what was on the menu that night for herself and husband Evan. Looks tasty guys!

The red headed vixen Laura from Cucina Testa Rossa breezed in with a gorgeous dessert - Chocolate Cake & Apricot Cognac Sauce from Jacques Pepin’s - Fast Food, My Way. Laura's cookbook, My Keyboard for a Cutting Board ~ Adventures in a French Kitchen v1.0 is ready for pre-order - make sure to order one for yourself! (I will order mine once I make it through the holidays Laura!)

My sassy girlfriend Jaay from Culinarily Obsessed contributed with the very unique recipe of Boiled Cookies from a treasured cookbook, the Cedar Hill's Treasure of Personal Recipes. I don't know about you guys, but I've never heard of such a thing as boiled cookies, until I met Jaay that is! PS - if you ever need to vent about your day, Jaay is a rock star listener. Go Jaay!

The next entry is one of my favorites, since it comes from a gal that doesn't have a food based blog, but who graced me with her participation in the WCC anyways - gorgeous Donna from donnaflowersdays, hailing all the way from Devon, England. Donna whipped up some delicious looking Chocolate Bourbon Balls for a Christmas fair. Bonus points go to Donna for the adorable packaging!

Tanvi from From The Pantry was next in line with Buttermilk Cupcakes with Brown Butter Frosting from Nigella's How to be A Domestic Goddess cookbook. Is there anything better tasting than brown butter frosting? I think not. We concurred that yes, Tanvi, you are indeed a domestic goddess.

Alanna from Veggie Venture shares her memories of her first dinner party and stirred up a healthy meal of Simple Broccoli & Chicken Stir Fry from the Chinese Cooking cookbook. Thanks Alanna for making us eat our veggies every day!

Eggy from Greedy Goose makes her Mum's amazingly gorgeous Orange Trifle. Eggy also learns the important difference of heating eggs, versus beating eggs when making trifles. Stunning photo's Eggy!

A delicious recipe of Chili-Lemon Splashed Fish comes to us from Andreea at Glorious Food and Wine. This healthy and tasty recipe came from the cookbook Meals in Minutes, given by dear friend.

Kalyn from the uber adorable blog Kalyn's Kitchen brings us Cauliflower Fried in Butter from The Frugal Gourmet On Our Immigrant Ancestors cookbook. Um, Kalyn, can I have two servings?

Ruth from Once Upon A Feast blesses us with a wonderful recipe for Italian Braciuolini from the Doubleday Cookbook. Playing scrabble while it bakes in the oven is highly recommended.

The beautiful Nupur from One Hot Stove slides in with an recipe of Green Peas Curry from the Cooking Under Ten Minutes cookbook. Nupur tests the recipe and finds it actually take 11 minutes to prepare. Way to go Nupur for testing the accuracy of the cookbooks claim!

I happily welcome Tami from Running With Tweezers, a newbie food blogger herself but definitely not a newbie to the food business! This girl gets the job done right with French Onion Soup a la Au Pied de Cochon from the Bistro Cooking cookbook. Be sure to check out her stunning new blog with equally stunning photos.

Paige from chef-girl narrowly escaped a 'friends' incident with her Ginger Sparkles, a recipe from Grand slam: More recipes from the Best of Bridge. They sound yummy Paige!

Stephanie from Dispensing Happiness checked in with a Sun Dried Tomato Omlette with Zippy Cheese Sauce from one of two submissions from the The Moosewood Cookbook (Stephanie's recipe is from the original, Laura's, which follows, is from the New Moosewood Cookbook).

Laura posted a tasty recipe in the livejoural group, dustycookbooks (how appropriate for this challenge!) of Gypsy Soup, from The New Moosewood Cookbook. I'm starting to think this must be a great cookbook!

Two lovely recipes of Spinach Soufflé and Cauliflower Casserole from the Heart of the Home cookbook are submitted by Mebeth from Hold The Raisins. Mebeth gets a gold star for going the extra mile!

Cutie patootie Kathy from Vast Amount of Spare Time shares her memories of the long loved World of the East Vegetarian Cooking, and makes Chapchae, a Korean Noodle and Vegetable Stir-fry.

Monkey from Monkey's Tree House shares her thoughts about Lasagna from her first cookbook, Betty Crocker Cookbook.

The Chocolate Lady from In Mol Araan, whose blog I can only half understand, shares her memories from a lovely cookbook, La Cuisine est un Jeu d’enfants by Michel Oliver, and makes a Mushroom Salad, called "Oronges." Both Sara and I adored that colorful and fun cookbook Chocolate Lady!

Next up is Faith from Blog Appetit making a fab Pesto Souffle from The Six-Minute Soufflé and Other Culinary Delights cookbook. Faith also fills us in on her substitutions in the recipe, as well as the authors tips for subbing ingredients. Thanks for the handy tips Faith!

The wonderful Alice from My Adventures In The Breadbox bakes up some delish looking Date Bars from The Art of Cooking and Serving. With a generous rolling in powdered sugar, these little bars look very tempting. Alice also provides a tried and true recipe from Maple Date Bars. Yum on both accounts Alice.

Zen Foodism goddess Beth comes in under the wire with Middle Eastern Rice with Lentils from the Vegetarian Times Complete Cookbook. Is it just me, or are a lot of vegetarian recipes showing Weekend Cookbook Challenge some love? Hurrah!

Breadchick from The Sour Dough just barely squeaks in (good timing Breadchick!) with a very holiday appropriate recipe for Spritz Cookies from The Victory Binding of the American Woman's Cook Book: The Wartime Edition, a very loved cookbook that belonged to her grandmother.

And finally, She Craves cooked up some delicious sounding Penne alla Vodka adapted from The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Italian. I made this dish when I was a teenager too! It was so incredibly good, although I'm pretty sure mine had a combo of about 4 different cheeses added. Either way, you can't miss out with Penne alla Vodka.

Great posts everyone! Sara and I really enjoyed reading through your memories of cookbooks long since forgotten. For a first time blogging event, I'd say we knocked this one out of the park!
The only thing left to do is to announce the next challenge: Winter Comfort Food!

Get your thinking caps on and those old, unused cookbooks out everyone! We hope to see you at the next Weekend Cookbook Challenge!

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Alicat & Sara

Weekend Cookbook Challenge #2

2005-01-03T01:59:00.000Z

Whew! We're pleased to say that we increased our number of entries from the last Weekend Cookbook Challenge from 29 to 36! You guys and gals certainly cooked up a whirlwind of comfort foods over the last 6 weeks.

One thing is for sure: When you think of comfort food, you folks turn to savory dishes. Casseroles, soups and stews topped your lists. Some of you may still be in the throes of winter, so hopefully you will get some great use from these recipes.

Thank you so much to everyone who participated! We hope to see you back for the next Weekend Cookbook Challenge! The theme for the next challenge is posted at the end of this roundup--make sure to check it out!

Starting with our hosts:

Sara from i like to cook dished up some delicious Boeuf Bourguignon.

and Alicat from Something So Clever stirred up some homemade Butterscotch Pudding.

Donna from A Foodie Blog came in super early with some delicious looking Butternut Squash Soup with Cider Cream.

Miss Alanna from A Veggie Venture served up a very comforting Eggplant Lasagna.

FJK from Blog Appetit is up next with Chicken Stewed in Fragrant Tomato Sauce with Thick Pasta

Haalo from Cook (almost) Anything Once baked up some picture perfect Scones for the challenge. They look amazing Haalo!

Cyndi from Cookin' With Cyndi cooked Biscuits with Sausage Gravy and Scrambled Eggs. We are definitely on the same page Cyndi -- Biscuits and Gravy are one of my all time favorite comfort foods!

Ivonne from Cream Puffs in Venice contributes some amazing looking Beignets. Thank you so much for participating Ivonne!

Miss Jaay from Culinarily Obsessed is up next with delicious looking Sugary Cinnamon Scones. To quote Jaay, these look YUM-O!

The Happy Sorceress from Dispensing Happiness gives us her ultra comforting contribution of

Alton's yummy homemade Corn Dogs (That sounds so dirty.)

Ashwini from Food For Thought delivers up some Butternut Squash Casserole for her contribution.

The folks at Hungry In Hogtown cooked up some utterly amazing comfort food -- Coq Au Vin and Celery Root Puree. Gorgeous photo's and thank you so much for joining us Hogtown!

Je Mange la Ville is joining us with fabulous Pierogi filled with Sweet Potato, Rosemary & Cheese. Mama mia! That is one comforting dish.

Kalyn from Kalyn's Kitchen cooked up a hearty meal of Corned Beef with Veggies and Horseradish. Oh how I love Corned Beef, Kalyn. I will be trying this one out for sure!

Küchenlatein also joins us with a gorgeous dish of Brussels sprouts with tomatoes and Parmesan cheese. This site sure makes me wish I remembered all those years of taking German courses! Thank you so much for joining us!

Kit from Mango & Ginger shares a recipe for her favorite indulgence, Egg rolls. "The greasier, the better." That is my kind of girl!

Melanie from Caffinara provides a delicious looking recipe for Winter Baked Beans.

Music and Cats checks in with their first WCC contribution: Gingerbread Pancakes with Bachelor’s Jam. That is by far the most adorable picture of pancakes I've ever seen!

The fabulous Alice from My Adventures In the Breadbox presents her dish of Potato Crusted Fish which has a surprising ingredient that makes the perfect crust.

Seen returning for her second contribution to the WCC is Georgia from Not A Domestic Diva (I still disagree with that title little missy) cooking up some Chicken in Milk that sounds delicious.

Notes from the Cape joins in the fun with a healthful dish of Winter Vegetable Casserole for all the veggie lovers out there.

Beautiful Ruth from Once Upon A Feast contributed two fantastic dishes to the challenge: a Mediterranean Omelet and a Black Mushroom & Leek Soup. Way to go Ruth!

Nupur from One Hot Stove added some delicious Vegetable Moussaka to the list of contributions.

Louise from Pâté chinois and Co. stirs up a Comforting Soup made of chickpeas, garlic and rosemary. I bet that batch of soup smelled heavenly Louise.

Andreea from Recipes made her second appearance and made a tasty batch of Sausage and Pasta Stew to combat the wintry conditions in Belgium. I hope the weather is being nicer to you now Andreea!

Let's just say it, the ultra fabulous and completely drop dead gorgeous Tami from Running With Tweezers stopped by with a gorgeous addition of Bow Tie Pasta with Fried Eggs and Cheese. Pasta and cheese? It is hard to get more comforting than that.

Mika from the The Green Jackfruit is next in line with Dal Paratha. While I've never eaten anything like that before, it looks and sounds delicious Mika!

Heather from The Messy Apron (Don't you just love that name?!) is participating in her very first blogging event and contributes a yummy Rice Pudding. Welcome Heather! We hope to see you again.

Breadchick from The Sour Dough made a very comforting dish of Scalloped Potatoes with Ham for her submission.

The Web Sorceress tried her best, but had to resort to using the Internet to find a recipe for Chicken Veggie Casserole. It's okay WS - We still love you!

Barbara from Tigers & Strawberries is up to bat next with a creative dish called Hillbilly Deluxe Dinner - It looks delicious Barbara!

Lindy from Toast joins in the challenge with Carbonnade: Beef, Brown Beer, and Onions. Welcome, Lindy!

Adorable Jen from Fallen Souffle cooked up a batch of Paula's Tomato and Dill Soup. Okay -- Let's see here. Paula+Deen+Tomato+Soup= Amazing Comfort Food! You can't go wrong there.

The lovely Chocolate Lady from Inmollaraan made Squash Stew with Chilies, Spices and Ground Nuts. We are so glad you joined in again, Chocolate Lady!

The dude behind A Food Year stopped by with a great addition of Shepherd's Pie. Although he grabbed his recipe from the Internet, we're hard up for some handsome male participants here at WCC. How could we possibly say no to him?

Also a first timer is Pat from Up A Creek Without A Patl with Spicy Peanut Chicken Stew. Thanks so much for joining in the fun Pat!

And finally we've got Heather from Decent Content dropping by with some Thai Curry Penne. Thank you for participating Heather! We hope to see you back!

I'll say it again -- WHEW! What a fantastic batch of contributions for the challenge. You folks outdid yourselves!

So, if you aren't too tired just from reading all those spectacular entries, it is time to announce
the next theme for the Weekend Cookbook Challenge #3.
It is....ORANGE! Yes, you read that right.

For the WCC#3 we are cooking up sweet and savories in the various shades of orange from recipes in our unused cookbooks. Get your thinking hats on and get your entries in by March 6th.

Have fun and please join us! Much culinary love,
Alicat and Sara

Weekend Cookbook Challenge #3

2005-01-03T01:55:00.000Z

Our thanks to all of you who participated in our third Weekend Cookbook Challenge. Our theme this time around was "Food in Shades of Orange", and it looks like every one had a good time with it. From appetizers to dessert, and some jam and salsa, everything's coming up orange!

First off, the hosts-
Alicat from Something So Clever - is pleasantly surprised with her Orange Glazed Carrots with Cilantro.

Sara from i like to cook is not crazy about her Curried Lentil Soup.

This month's roundup was done by Sara. Please email me at sara.wcc@gmail.com for any corrections.

All 4 of these fantastic looking dishes are from Ruth at Once Upon a Feast - Tropical Salsa, Butternut Squash, Orange Endive Salad and Roasted Carrots.

Check out this dazzling Clementine Chocolate Salad from Tami at Running with Tweezers. Tami will also be announcing a new website that features her amazing food styling skills -- be on the lookout for her announcement!

Bea over at La Tartine Gourmande makes sumptuous looking Mango Tatin Tartlets.

Jennifer from Fallen Souffle makes a beautiful Orange and Beet Salad from the Barefoot Contessa.

Awwww, which is cuter - the Orange Brownies at Sweetnicks, or Cate's adorable son Nicholas?

Check out the sensational Greek Yogurt, Honey, and Orange Syrup Cake that Haalo at Cook Almost Anything Once made. Wow!

We get a fantastic Orange Yogurt from Ivonne at Cream Puffs in Venice.

Here's two dishes from Georgia at Not a Domestic Diva. Unfortunately, she was disappointed in both.

Stephanie at The Feast Crusade is not crazy about her Citrus Beef Stir fry or the cookbook it came from. But the presentation is lovely Stephanie!

Danielle at Habeas Brulee creates a striking dessert of Apricot Fruit Leather Ravioli. Wonderful!

Chef Girl Paige pairs carrots, raisins and chile's in her Tunisian Carrot Salad. Sounds tasty!

In any language, this Glace a la Fleur D'Oranger from O Delices looks amazing.

From It's a Good Thing I'm Book Smart comes this fancy Creamsicle Tart. It took Maikopunk 3 days to make!

Over at The Pearl Onion Kristin introduces us to Orangettes. They look wonderful Kristin!

Rob and Rachel at Hungry in Hogtown go all fancy-pants with El Bulli's Caramelized Trout Roe. Very impressive!

Bread Chick at The Sour Dough prepared a whole meal based on the color orange! Check it out, it's A Very Orange Meal

Pat's husband is crazy about her Gingered Carrot Soup over at Up a Creek Without a Patl. Who can blame him?

Rayma from Cooking Within My Grasp whips up some Indian Style Pumpkin Pastries.

Felicia whips up a batch of scrumptious looking Orange Cookies over at The Web Sorceress.

From Ushka's site at Live Journal comes a recipe for Marinated Herring.

Would you ever try Carrot Pudding? Alanna at A Veggie Venture thinks you should!

Helen at Grab Your Fork bakes up a delicious dessert - Sago Pudding.

Ulrike from Kuchenlatein in Germany serves up a hearty vibrant bowl of Carrot Joghurt Soup.

Melanie is very ambitious and makes a big batch of Ginger Marmalade over at Caffinara.

Michelle at Je Mange La Ville hits a home run with this dish from Southern France - Grilled and Marinated Peppers.

Ken goes wild over at A Food Year and makes a 4 course orange themed dinner. Go Ken!

The Chocolate Lady at Inmolaraan tries out a Russian recipe for Carrot Kotlety. They look pretty tasty to me!

Cyndi at Cyndi Cooks - goes retro with An (Almost) Sugar Free Orange Cheesecake. Mmmm!

Thanks to all of you who participated, we hope you had as much fun as we did! Please join us next month for challenge number 4. Don't worry, this one has a broader theme - Easter Breakfast and/or Brunch.

There are quite a few possibilities out there for Easter breakfast and brunch -- mimosas, omlette's, coffee cakes and more. Whether you celebrate religiously or not, please join us! If you have a recipe you would like to try out that has nothing to do with Easter per se, but it does fall into the breakfast or brunch category, that is great too!

See you then!
Alicat and Sara.

Weekend Cookbook Challenge #4

2005-01-03T01:52:00.000Z

We had 30 participants this month for the fourth edition of Weekend Cookbook Challenge. Our theme this month was Easter Breakfast & Brunch, and we've spanned a whole field of dishes; egg dishes, breads, sweets and savory!

Our thanks to all who participated in WCC#4. We hope you enjoy reading the entries, and maybe see something new to try in your own kitchen.

Onto the goods! Starting with our hosts:

Alicat from Something So Clever baked a pan of Triple Berry Coffee Cake.

While Sara stirred up the Canadian version of a Bloody Mary -- called a Caesar!

We are stunned and overjoyed at the huge spread that The Cooking Critic made for brunch. Her choices include fruit dip, sausage balls, Tami's Clementine Chocolate Salad, Caramel Coffee Cake and Gorgonzola Grits! This is also the first time a submission included a previously submitted Weekend Cookbook Challenge entry (Clementine Chocolate Salad by Tami)! I love it!

Jen from Fallen Souffle joins us with Vegetable Cream Cheese that looks delicious on fresh bagels.

Ruth from Once Upon A Feast made a Passover feast including Spinach Cheese Squares, Crust-less Broccoli Quiche, Carrot Salad, Orange Chipotle Salmon, Salad with Strawberries, Grapes and Balsamic Vinaigrette and a fruit salad! Whew! We are tired just thinking of making that much food Ruth!

The beautiful Tami from Running with Tweezers drops by with a Buffet of B's! Blueberry Banana Bread, to be exact. We love your Bold use of the letter B Tami.

Bea from the amazingly beautiful La tartine gourmande makes Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon.

Faith from the beautiful blog, Mekuno Cooking, made Braised Polish Sausage.

Ivonne from Cream Puffs In Venice submits a gorgeous addition of Lemony Bread-Pudding French Toast.

Pamela at Posie's Place made yummy breakfast burritos.

Super stud Adam from Men In Aprons joins us for the first time with two great submissions: Cherry and Golden Raisin Scones and Rosemary Citrus Cookies. If you haven't checked out Men In Aprons yet -- be sure to drop by and get to know Adam at his incredibly awesome website.

Rob and Rachel from Hungry In Hogtown whispers sweet nothings into my ear with a beautiful Croque Monsieur. How good is that?

Jesperanda from Dustycookbooks makes two dishes -- Haroset and Egg(s) Benedict.

Michelle from Je Mange la Ville baked up a truly decadent pan of French Toast Baked in Honey Pecan Sauce.

Petra from FoodFreak makes some golden brown Corn Fritters.

Breadchick from The Sour Dough makes some ooey Gooey Butter Coffee Cake.

Lee from Welcome to My Pantry baked up a Greek Easter Spiral.

Katherine from Toastpoint makes my dream dish, Ham In Cola.

Dave from Everyday Epicurean bakes some oh so adorable Hot Cross Buns.

Imagine that - Joining us with another pan of baked heaven is Haalo with more Hot Cross Buns.
And wouldn't ya know it - Melanie from Caffinara joins us with more Hot Cross Buns! Bring em on people! We love it!

Houska from Houska Child bakes Ostern Pflaumenkuchen, which means Easter Plum Cake (Thanks for translating Houska and Ian!) which I can't exactly translate. Still, it looks delicious in any language.

Ramya from Cooking Within My Grasp make a batch of Blueberry Lacey Cream Pancakes.

Laura Rebecca makes a very subtle (heh) dish of Patate Douce Casserole Avec Peeps - Or,

Peeps with Sweet Potatoes. Now that is a girl after my own heart. Way to embrace the (corporate) essence of Easter!

Oh but Laura Rebecca isn't done yet -- another entry of Peeps On the Lawn Dessert Salad. What can I say Laura? I love you.

Ulrike from Küchenlatein makes picture perfect Make-ahead Buttered Poppy Seed Rolls.

My personal favorite of all the submissions comes from Ian at The Gallumphing Gourmand with Chilled Seafood Lasagna with Herbed Cheese. A man that cooks is a good thing..a man that can make *that* is a treasure!

Yambalaya bakes up a gorgeous loaf of Greek Easter Bread.

Cathy from A Blithe Palate makes a delicious plate of food, including Zucchini Fritters with Egg and Caramelized Onions.

Marie-Laure from O Delices makes simple and delicious Waffles.

Reader submission from Carrisa is Paula Deen's Blueberry Coffee Cake. (Recipe at very end of this post)

Coming soon: Weekend Cookbook Challenge #5 - We celebrate Cinco De Mayo! Cinco De Mayo is a celebration of freedom and liberty. Sounds good to us! Join us next month with your Mexican inspired dishes! So consiga que cocina**, and email your entries to alicat.wcc AT gmail DOT com by May 15. We'll have the round-up posted shortly after.

Hasta Luego!

Alicat and Sara
**get cooking

Paula Deen's Blueberry Coffee Cake

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (12-ounce) can buttermilk biscuits
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Generously grease a 9-inch square baking dish. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon and mix well with a fork.Separate biscuit dough into 10 biscuits. Cut each biscuit into quarters, and dip each piece in melted butter and coat with brown sugar mixture.Arrange in a single layer in baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the oats. Combine blueberries and sugar in a bowl and toss to coat. Spoon over oats and biscuits and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup oats.Drizzle remaining melted butter on top.Bake for 20 minutes or until cake is golden brown and center is done. Cool for 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Weekend Cookbook Challenge #5

2005-01-03T01:48:00.000Z

A big thanks to all of our cooks in this months challenge! We enjoyed having you participate and hope you had as much fun as we did. We've got a ton of scrumptious sounding dishes, so keep reading and enjoy!

Roundup by Sara. Please email me with any changes or corrections.

Laura from Laura Rebecca's Kitchen makes some wonderful looking Chilaquiles.

Pamela from Posie's Place cooks up Chicken Fajitas from the best named cookbook of all time.

Breadchick from The Sour Dough is up to the challenge with her Grilled Chicken and Rice Enchiladas.

Meeta from What's for lunch honey? has some very nice pictures of the chiles in her Chiles Rellenos.

Adam from Men In Aprons introduces us to Bunuelos with Orange Syrup. Nice one.

Jennifer at Fallen Souffle whips up the ominously named You'll Never Go Back Salsa.

Gracias to Carrisa at Love Bites for her Margarita Cheesecake!

Say Hi to Dawna from Always In The Kitchen and her vibrant Adobo Rojo de Cerdo.

Petra from Chili Und Ciabatta in Germany bakes a delicious Arroz Blanco Con Chiles Rellenos De Elote. That's a mouthful!

La Mia Cucina's Lis makes Chicken Enchiladas and Guacamole.

Ruth at Once Upon A Feast cooks a beautiful dish of Chile Rubbed Chicken and Mango Salsa.

Go see Liz over at Truffle Mutt and drool over her Tex-Mex Truck Stop Enchiladas.

Susan from the awesomely named Porchini Chronicles defiantly has the right idea - Tequila Drunken Pinto Beans With Cilantro and Bacon.

The charming Ulrike from Kuchenlatein prepares some tasty Burritos.

Ian at The Gallumphing Gourmand goes way beyond Taco Bell with Swiss Enchiladas and Refried Beans.

Laura over at Dustycookbooks puts a spin on traditional turkey and mole sauce with her Turkos.

Virtual Frolic from the website of the same name prepares a mini-feast of Garlic Shrimp Yucatecan Style, Mexican Grilled Corn and Mexican Hot Chocolate.

Not only did Haalo from Cook Almost Anything At Least Once make her own tortillas, then she made Huevos Rancheros!

Superstar Ivonne at Cream Puffs In Venice hits one out of the park with her Tres Leches Cake with Brandied Pineapple.

Michelle over at Je Mange La Ville makes a Tequila Sunrise, Charred Tomato Salsa and Boilermaker Bean Dip. Check out her post title! Very clever.

And Rob and Rachel from the wonderful Hungry In Hogtown prepare Cochinita Pibil, Guacamole and Pickled Red Onions.

And the hosts?

Sara from i like to cook made Spicy Zucchini Soup with Rice and Lime and Calypso Roti with Mango Mojo.

Something So Clever's Alicat makes a Mexican dish that her picky husband will eat - Fiesta Shrimp Tacos with Cucumber and Avocado Salsa.

We realize that this challenge came out a bit fast after the last one, so we're going to slow things down a bit. Weekend Cookbook Challenge #6's theme is Picnic Food!

Picnic food makes us think of fried chicken, potato salad, fruit tarts and strawberry lemonade. Now, lets see what your interpretation is! Whip up any dish or meal that you think fits the theme.

As a reminder for newbies, the idea is to make a dish from an unused or under used cookbook from your collection and blog about it! Please post any pictures, the recipe, and a link back to the Weekend Cookbook Challenge. The final date to submit is June 26. Recap will be up shortly after that.

Happy Cooking!

Alicat and Sara

About the Author

2005-01-02T01:41:00.000Z

Sara lives in Calgary, Alberta and has loved cooking for as long as she can remember. She likes music, reading, farmers markets and scouring used bookstores and eBay for cookbooks to add to her collection. Sara admits "Baking is definitely not my strong point, but that's ok. If I were a better baker then I'd eat all my creations and have to buy bigger clothes!"

Sara's other website is i like to cook. You can reach Sara at sara.wccATgmailDOTcom.

The Weekend Cookbook Challenge

2005-01-02T01:38:00.000Z

Welcome to the new and improved Weekend Cookbook Challenge!

Sara from i like to cook invites you to join her in exploring your cookbook collection. Everyone has cookbooks that they have bought or received as gifts and never used. Well, I am here to help you change that!

Each challenge I ask you to crack open a cookbook you've never used before (or maybe haven't used in a long time) and try something new. Some challenges will have themes, and some will be open for you to choose what you'd like to do. Please feel free to suggest challenges to me too!

Sara